Pseudo experts and misleading advice

2021/06/25

I sang hallelujas in exultation when I read Dr Parakrama Waidyanatha in the Sunday Island of June 20 . I refer to his article titled: “GMOA President misleading the public”. He starts his long article full of statistics, proof etc., thus: “Dr Anuruddha Padeniya … in a LankaCNews presentation overwhelmed this writer with trepidation and fear. What is his mission in public fear mongering?” If a learned specialist feels fearful how much stronger will the frightened feelings be of us Ordinaries? The title is strong enough but I make it stronger by adding that this former Prez of the GMOA is misguiding the country’s President with his phobias and now as seen in the article, with fabricated statistics and facts. And instead of medically treating the general public he is mistreating them with false fears and prognoses.

The Island of Tuesday June 22 carries an opinion by distinguished Dr C S Weeraratna titled “Questions for GMOA President and Minister of Agriculture” which gives further substantiality to my disapproval of Dr Padeniya in his (self-assumed) role as chief advisor to the President. Dr Weeraratna writes about Dr Padeniya and Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s emphasis and constantly sounding refrain that CKD in the NCP is caused by fertilisers. He says: “Many research/review reports have shown that the Chronic Kidney Disease is of unknown etiology.”

Dr Padeniya and Ven Athureliya Sobhita Thera convinced the Prez that chemical fertilisers caused CKD, most definitely. It was proven by specialists and researchers not to be so. But inorganic fertilisers were banned overnight by presidential decree. When people starve after the next harvest, and even other produce from the soil is greatly reduced in quantity in the near future, we can point fingers of the crime of causing food shortages, nay starvation, to this Doc too.

To Cass’ reflecting mind, this Dr A Padeniya moves into all spheres of concern. But in this particular sphere of the suffering and death of Ordinaries, we recall the lightning strikes called for by the GMOA during the Yahapalanaya regime, causing untold suffering and expense to outstation patients who crawled to hospitals to be told there were no doctors on duty; a GMOA strike was on. Deaths resulted, so Dr P who was Prez GMOA and directed constant GMOA strikes has blood on his hands: his hands which should be totally healing and merciful. During one of these strikes he was found conducting his private consultation by no less a nosey Parker than Ranjan Ramanayake.

Latest nosiness of Dr P is his move to ban on line ordering of alcoholic drinks. The respected Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Government Medical Officers Association registered their opposition to a Finance Ministry decision to allow consumers to purchase liquor online. I felt that was not territory for the medical profession to go into: the on line ordering. Over consumption of liquor is their concern. Medics claim that treating people with illnesses arising from intake of liquor takes up a sizeable amount of available medical resources – medicines, hospital space, doctors’ time. Correct. That applies to persons who abuse alcohol intake and specially those who drink illicit brews –kassippu. That is where the fault lies, and if illicit liquor is not available, the illicit is resorted to.

One thing people cannot do, however merciful and concerned they are, is prevent imbibers from taking alcoholic drinks. Methinks online orderers are people of fair substance; people who possess the wherewithal, tech included, to order on line. And thus they are persons who indulge in social drinking and not imbibing until inebriated. It is very much a personal decision to take or not to take. We see this as another instance of the GMOA under its Prez shrouding itself in a ‘holier than thou’ cloak. Live and let live is the best policy regards taking alcoholic drinks – comparatively safe drinks.

Dr Padeniya caused yet another fracas by accusing those medical persons in-charge of releasing data of Covid deaths of falsifying statistics given. Huge accusation at a VIP presidential meeting. A top medical officer was thereafter shifted from his post. I cannot write more about this, because the moment the very influential medical specialist started speaking, I changed TV channels.

He was also supposed to have expressed the view that oil palm growing here and also import of palm oil needed to be banned, and to his way of thinking, immediately. As a substitute he advocated meeting our oil requirements by resorting to the age old sekkuwa. Even an idiot like Cass knows how unfeasible that move will be for large scale production of coconut oil.

Taking all these factors into consideration, Cass surmises that Dr Anuruddha Padeniya should have studied for, and obtained qualification in Ayurvcda medicine. But – no clout, no peddling influence, no money to be earned as a vedarala. The days of the Pancha Maha Balavegaya died with the assassination of SWRDB.

Short takes – Message on phones

Eng. Anton Nanayakkara in his opinion of talk shows in The Island of June 22 writes: “Finally, the Telecom beats them all, where every call taken is preceded by a lengthy message on prevention of Coronavirus pandemic.” Yes, annoying; enough is enough. Most people stay confined indoors etc so the urgency of the call in three languages is matched in people’s mind with the lack of proper handling of immunisation and even hijacking vaccines, more so the second jab of those in Colombo who received the first A-Z shot. This present wave of the pandemic could have been much reduced, even prevented, if mass vaccination had been carried out much earlier. The government definitely did not take action urgently. How long to keep us confined? And what about the resultant surge in infections once we are unlocked. Please, Authorities, remove that phone message. Not only do the decent voices annoy us now, but the urgency they express is such a hollow dark comedy. So many deaths, so much suffering, so many hardships; all preventable if the government had concentrated on getting down vaccines from the many that are available, instead of holding the begging bowl and attending to other less urgent matters.

Chinese vaccine

The New York Times

of June 23 carries an article by Sui-Lee Wee titled and subtitled: “They relied on Chinese vaccine. Now they are battling outbreaks.” 30 countries vaccinated their people with Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac and now Mongolia, the Seychelles, Chile and Bahrain among the 30 are experiencing surges in infection, in spite of around 50% of populations being given both jabs. These vaccines were heavily touted in Sri Lanka, perhaps because they were gifted. Cassandra merely comments and reproduces info from an American newspaper. Thus her choice of waiting for the second jab of Astra-Zeneca is reinforced; but will the government oblige?