Govt. borrowings from local banks exceed Rs.1 trillion – ICEU

SATURDAY, 27 APRIL 2013 

The President of Inter Company Employees' Union (ICEU) Wasanthe Samarasinghe claims that the government borrowed Rs 410 billion from Bank of Ceylon and People's Bank to pay salaries of the public sector employees and various other pending bills. He said the loans were taken at an interest rate of 17% in December 2012 when the Treasury offers 10% to 11% on Treasury Bills.

Mr. Samarasinghe said taking such big amounts as loans from State banks would be a severe blow to the economy as the annual interest payable for Rs 410 billion alone would be Rs 70 billion. He said according to reports the government has obtained Rs 1 trillion from the local banks.

200 kidney patients awaiting surgery have died

SATURDAY, 27 APRIL 2013

About 200 kidney patients who had been registered for surgery have died due to not carrying out surgeries at National Kidney Transplant Unit at Maligawatta despite having all the facilities including specialist doctors, equipment and nursing staff say reports.

More than 600 patients had been registered for surgery at this unit and after the death of 200 of them without getting the surgeries they needed due to improper and inefficient management of the unit, 400 more patients are in stand-by list for surgery. The main obstacle for the surgeries at the unit is said to be setting apart for nurses 6 air-conditioned rooms intended for the use of doctor.

The rooms are necessary for doctors to stay after surgery so that they could reach, within a few seconds, patients who have been operated or in intensive care. The doctors say surgeries cannot be carried out without a place for them to rest and stay after surgery. There have been instances when doctors had to wait in the cars parked outside so that they could reach patients in time.

The issue has escalated as authorities have not taken any decision regarding rooms and not properly allocating rooms for doctors and nurses.

The number of kidney patients registered at the unit is 2000 and about 40 patients are treated at each clinic. It is said that about 20 surgeries a week could be carried out in the unit. There is a staff of 6 specialist doctors, 28 Medical Officers and 5 nurses in the hospital.

However, only clinical activities are carried out at the unit at present.