Letters to the Editor

29th July 2001
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People packed like cattle

The slow train, which reaches Gampaha at 7.06 a.m. from Rambukkana, has five compartments, but carries passengers for 10 and is like a goods train packed with cattle. 

The railway authorities should introduce a double set train carrying 10 compartments at this peak time. 

Meanwhile, the Galle-Maradana train which arrives at the Panadura station at 7.20 a.m. too is also very crowded. Earlier, this train commenced from Aluthgama and was not too crowded . The number of compartments of this train too should be increased to help passengers. 

Chintha Abeyratne 
Gampaha 


Mail, mail come this way

There have been many promises but no Postal Service to Gampola's Orwel Colony. Important letters including official documents are sent all over. We hope the postal authorities would take the plight of the people living in this colony into consideration and take action soon.

Sri Lal de Silva
Gampola


Don't neglect little roads

The road through Nilwakke in the Kegalle Electorate which joins the Kegalle-Rambukkana Road at Hiriwadduna is broken and needs urgent repair. The three buses operated on this route have been stopped for a few months. Patients who need to go to the Kegalle Base Hospital have to pay exorbitant fares to three-wheelers. 

We are aware of the hardships the government is facing due to the war in the north. At the same time we hear of plans to build several super highways. Authorities seem to be more concerned about these highways. We do not oppose such highways but plead with the officials to repair the roads from our villages to major towns. Unlike the millions of rupees required for a super highway, only a few hundred thousand rupees will be needed to repair the four-kilometre stretch of road we villagers have to use. 

Kumara Munasinghe
Nilwakke


Who will pay for Tuesday's horror?

The Tigers destroyed eight military aircraft and several civilian aircraft in Tuesday's attack on the Katunayake airbase and international airport. Now the billion dollar question is who will make the fastest million by recommending to the government from where and whom new aircraft should be purchased.

The other issue of course, is whether we as a country have any shame. Surely, some honourable politicians would have resigned immediately after this debacle, as it happens in other countries. But, not so in Sri Lanka, where the leaders, cling to power and post, without a hum or murmur about their responsibility in preventing the horror of Tuesday.

Even at this late stage those who were in charge should concede their shortcomings and go with dignity.

When politicians and military top brass visited the airport hours after the devastation, with some planes still smouldering on the tarmac, they were surrounded by more than a hundred commandos. State TV also focused on a Kfir taking off with the announcement that it was heading north to attack an LTTE camp. However, on Wednesday morning, the story on BBC showing the same sequence was that "it was just a symbolic gesture" that the Air Force still had some aircraft left.

M.I. Haniffa
Dehiwela 


Give a little warning

The CEB should give consumers a signal immediately before the nightly blackout. This can be done at no cost by simply blinking the lights, one minute before the power cut. This would help people to arm themselves with candles.

Chandrakirthi Ratnasiri 
Pannipitiya


Treating kids in sick hospital

The Lady Ridgeway Hospital, the premier children's hospital in Sri Lanka, provides excellent care, but I think it is my duty to bring to the notice of the authorities the minus side in the 'housekeeping' which is far from satisfactory. 

This hospital is without doubt the central treatment centre for dengue fever. Even private sector patients are transferred here for specialized care. I am indebted to the staff for the care given to my child as well as other patients.But even as a layman, I observed unsatisfactory measures in this hospital to prevent cross infection of this deadly disease.

Mosquitoes are rampant in and around the wards. Few beds/cots in the wards had good mosquito nets to safeguard the children from their deadly bite but most nets had big holes. Some parents had brought good nets for their kids' use at their own expense, and donated these afterwards to the ward. 

I understand that dengue is spread mostly during the day and it could spread easily when a mosquito bites an uninfected person, after biting an infected person who acts as a reservoir for the virus. I wonder whether using a net at night would prevent a child from contracting dengue when there are mosquitoes under the bed and there is a dengue patient on the other bed during the day. 

Littered drains, bins, nooks and crannies with rat, cockroach and crow droppings and stray cats were what I came across everywhere. 

The rear of the staff quarters, especially that of the doctors' quarters was in a similar state. 

Incidentally, a doctor at LRH had reportedly contracted dengue fever just three days prior to his wedding and then immediate measures had been taken by the hospital authorities to "clean up" their quarters. 

Instead of spending tidy sumson maintaining the new buildings as a showpiece, the funds could furnish the wards adequately with good mosquito nets and provide satisfactory housekeeping/ maintenance of the entire hospital. 

Sick child's father
Mount Lavinia


Stamp out the problem

The Post Master General issued Circular No. 21/01/14/01/CO dated May 14 that it is improper for agency post offices to refuse to accept letters for registration with stamps bought from elsewhere.

Agency post offices are paid a five percent commission on the sale of stamps by the PMG, which is the only source of revenue they have for providing postal facilities to the public.

By instructing them to accept letters with stamps affixed from outside for registration, agency post offices are penalized in two ways. They are deprived of the little revenue derived from the sale of stamps, while they are compelled to accept letters for registration which often contain cheques, bank drafts and valuable documents at a risk, without any remuneration.

If the circular is to be adhered to, the PMG should introduce a commission system for the acceptance of registered letters. This would be an incentive for the efficient performance of a public duty.

S. Weerasinghe
Colombo 10

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