The National Breastfeeding Week conducted islandwide from August 1 ends on August 7. The special week, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been themed, ‘Breastfeeeding: Foundation of Life’, with several programmes being conducted islandwide to encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies for the first six months of the infant’s life. Evidence based data has proved that such interventions significantly improved the nutritional status, health and cognitive development of infants and young children, and protected young children and their mothers from Non Communicable diseases .
According to Health Ministry sources Sri Lanka currently heads the list of countries in the South Asian region in achieving the goal of 100% breastfeeding coverage with the majority of mothers now breastfeeding their babies for at least the first few months of their lives.
Shifting focus from diseases to patients
The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA),the oldest medical association in Asia and Australasia recently held its 131st Anniversary International Medical Congress. The SLMA which comprises all grades of doctors in Sri Lanka, this year directed its attention on shifting the focus from diseases to patients. In his welcome message to the participants who included several foreign doctors, President, SLMA, Dr Ruvaiz Haniffa said, the theme of the discussions, “Shifting focus from diseases to patients: Today’s vision, Tomorrow’s Reality”, had been chosen to reflect upon the realities of health and healthcare in the 21st century which would be people/patient driven from a local, regional and global perspective.”
His sentiments were underlined by the Health Minister Dr Rajitha Seneratne, who while thanking the SLMA for its guidance on various health related issues, said, he looked forward to collaborating with the medical organisation to further upgrade the healthcare delivery system in the country.
Chief Guest, President British Medical Association, Prof Dinesh Bhugra, in a message emphasised the role of doctors as healers rather than technicians in the rapid technical advances in investigations and management and said, the SLMA must continue to provide a professional voice and be a source of advice for policy makers in the area of health.
Sri Lanka develops low carb rice to prevent diabetes
The Ambalantota Rice Research Centre has introduced a new variety of low carb rice – Neeroga in order to prevent Diabetes. In an inspection tour of the Rice Research Centre in Ambalantota, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweeera underlined the importance of promoting this rice variety as a commercial crop to meet the increasing demand for low carb rice in the local as well as the international market.
Welcoming the move, health officials said, rice was a staple food in Sri Lanka and most Lankans eat rice for all three main meals. “Rice is rich in carbohydrates and consuming more rice will store excess sugar in the blood which leads to diabetes and other non communicable diseases”, an unnamed health spokesman told the Sunday Observer. According to sources, the Agriculture Department has already taken measures to conduct several research projects with a view to producing more healthy food crops.
New nutritious fruits for the heath conscious
In yet another path breaking innovative venture aimed at improving the nutrition of the public besides fighting NCDs , the Agriculture Department is developing new nutritious fruit varieties for the Dry and Wet Zones. One such fruit is the gac fruit /sweet gourd (Momordica Cochinchinensis) which scientists say is rich in betacarotene, lycopene and Provitamin A. A native to South East Asia and Australia, it can be eaten either boiled, stir fried or in curries. It has been reported that Agriculture Minister Amaraweera has instructed the authorities to take necessary steps to promote the gac fruit as a commercial fruit crop.
Police to intervene in reducing water related accidents
Sri Lankan Police are reportedly planning to combine the Life Saving Unit and the Environmental Unit and make it a separate Police Division, IGP Pujith Jayasundera has reportedly said. A news report in a state newspaper quotes him as noting there was a significant increase in the number of water related accidents and that the Police jointly with life saving associations had been taking measures to reduce such accidents which occur in rivers, reservoirs, tanks and the sea.
Health Minister felicitated
Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr Rajitha Seneratne was felicitated on his appointment as Vice Chairman of the World Health Organistion (WHO) on July 31 at the Nelun Pokuna theatre, under the patronage of President Maithrapala Sirisena. Ministry sources said, the Health sector has achieved many goals under the leadership of the Health Minister offering free heart stents and eye lenses for all patients undergoing treatment in state hospitals , reducing the prices of 48 drugs, lifting the Rs 1.5 million limit for granting funds for cancer patients’ treatment, reducing Vat on doctors’ fees in private hospitals, and free nutritious biscuits for schoolchildren, among other things.