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Save our children from Caesar

In what is regarded as a scandalously dangerous trend, about 80% of childbirths in the private sector health system are taking place not by natural means but by caesarean sections, according to a survey conducted by a patients' rights group.

A spokesman for the action committee on justice for patients said that according to guidelines of the World Health Organisation not more than 20% of childbirths should take place by caesarean sections. If the figure is more it means there is something badly wrong with the country's health care process.

While the ratio in public hospitals like the De Soyza Maternity Home is well within the WHO limit the ratio in the private sector has risen alarmingly to as much as 80%.
The spokesman said the massive discrepancy - less than 20% in public hospitals and 80% in the private sector - left room for charges that pregnant women were being persuaded to undergo the operation even in non essential cases. The spokesman said a commercial or business factor was also allegedly involved. While childbirth by natural means would cost less than Rs. 10.000 the caesarean section generally costs about Rs. 40 thousand.

A qualified London trained midwife with many years experience said, she was appalled to know that some obstetricians performed caesarean sections on mothers who could easily have a normal delivery. She said those obstetricians did so just because they were either going on leave, attending a foreign conference or some such situation.

She said this was a most unethical practice and could be dangerous to the mother at a future pregnancy.

"In the De Soysa Lying-in Home or the Castle Street Maternity Hospital I am quite sure the doctor in charge of a ward of pregnant mothers wouldn't dream of performing a 'caesar' if he is not able to be present but would pass this case on to another doctor who would be present at the normal birth of the baby. Mothers who go to these hospitals are mostly poor patients who cannot afford to pay large fees to see an obstetrician and if the occasion arises a caesarean would be performed free!! ", she said

Meanwhile the Action Committee on Justice for patients at a meeting on Thursday decided to prepare a massive public petition protesting against the bitter medicine that the US administration is giving to billions of poor people in the third world.

At a meeting of the World Trading Organisation in Geneva last month, the Bush administration suddenly reversed its policy and decided to block a parallel imports concession whereby billions of people in the third world would have been able to get essential drugs at low prices. The US administration under the direct guidance of Vice President Dick Cheney told the WTO the concession needed to be reviewed because it might seriously affect profits of giant global drug companies. The spokesman for the committee said the petition would be handed over to the US Embassy and others.

CPU meets in Sri Lanka

By Nilika Kasturisinghe
More than 60 Senior Commonwealth Editors and Publishers are expected for the Commonwealth Press Union Biennial Conference scheduled to take place from February 25 to 28 at the Trans Asia Hotel Colombo.

The Executive Director of the Commonwealth Press Union, Ms. Lindsay Ross speaking at a news briefing said the Opening Ceremony will be held at the BMICH and it will be followed by a reception at Temple Trees, hosted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to welcome the delegates attending the conference.

She said, the speakers at the conference will include Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, former Speaker of the British Parliament Rt. Hon. The Baroness Boothroyd and well-known editors and publishers from commonwealth countries. The peace process in Sri Lanka, the war against terrorism, the electronic revolution and future implications for the Commonwealth newspaper industry are among the subjects that will be discussed.

Advertising, marketing and publishing issues such as branding across cultural and political divides and understanding the next generation of consumers will be addressed.

A special talk on the subject "Photo-journalism: The neglected weapon in a newspaper's armoury" is to be delivered by the pictures editor of the Associated Press, Horst Faas.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of the Judiciary, Malaysia, will focus on, the role of an independent judiciary in maintaining press freedom.

The closing keynote address is to be delivered by the Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon.

The Commonwealth newspaper conference is held every two years, each time in a different region. The last conference was held in Barbados two years ago, Ms. Ross said, adding "I felt it was a particularly inspirational time to bring it to Sri Lanka."

Speaking on Sri Lanka being selected as the location of this conference, "it's almost as if it were the centre of the Commonwealth", she added.

Councillor's son on the run with counterfeit currency

Counterfeit currency notes amounting to about Rs. 30,000 are still with a son of a Uva Provincial Councillor, sources from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told the Sunday Times yesterday.

The suspect is absconding the sources added.

The production of spurious currency notes came to light when a man reported to the Welimada police that he received five counterfeit 1,000 rupee currency notes. Further investigations led to the arrest of 14 suspects and the recovery of 162,000 counterfeit currency notes.

"Some counterfeit currency notes had been destroyed by the suspects before the CID team arrested them," the CID officer handling the investigation said. He added that middlemen in the currency racket had sold spurious Rs. 1,000 currency notes at Rs. 500 each.

SLPI as watchdog of press freedom

The government has welcomed the establishment of the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) by the Newspaper Society, the Editor's Guild and the Free Media Movement, a press release from the Prime Minister’s office states.

The primary objects of the Sri Lanka Press Institute are to promote press freedom and enhance the professional standards of media personnel in Sri Lanka .Towards this end, the SLPI will establish both a college of Journalism and a self regulatory Press Complaints Commission, a government press release said.

'Though the government has no role whatsoever over its management it would welcome financial and other support to the newly formed SLPI by the International community," Mr.Bradman Weerakoon, secretary to the Prime Minister told a meeting of prospective foreign donors held at the Prime Minister's office last Friday.

Noting that the new national body would require adequate resources to ensure the success of its programmes, Mr. Weerakoon told representatives of Colombo based diplomatic missions and NGOs that "financial support to help the SLPI embark on its tasks vigorously became a priority."

He said achieving the aims and objectives of the SLPI would not only contribute to good governance and the creation of a new media culture, but also bring the skills of Sri Lanka's media on par with their counterparts in developed democracies.

He said the government had already repealed the laws of criminal defamation and was currently working on a draft Freedom of Information Act. Several other laws that impacted on media freedom were also being looked into by the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice, he added.

Mr. Weerakoon pointed out that the government believed in supporting media independence and welcomed the three organizations joining hands to take measures to ensure good governance in the country. Many international agencies adopted the same approach towards media freedom and good governance he said.

Already UNESCO has pledged its support with financial assistance and technical advice for the SLPI's Journalism College, and he believed that foreign governments agencies and non governmental organizations will now find a local collaborator backed by the country's publishers, editors and working journalists to train journalists, hold seminars and workshops and have mutual exchange of press persons Mr. Weerakoon said.

By way of lending tangible support for the ideals of the SLPI, the government has decided to hand over the existing Sri Lanka Television training institute at Independence square to the SLPI, and abolish the statutory Press Council. They were only awaiting the appointment of the self regulatory Press Complaints Commission, he said.

Government has no part to play in the administration of the SLPI and all monies channelled through it will be transferred automatically to the SLPI. Mr. Weerakoon assured, adding that the government in this instance will only act as the facilitator for foreign funding.

Mr. Ranjit Wijewardene, President of the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka outlined the concept of establishing the SLPI which would be the parent body that would spearhead the two top most priorities of the profession - those of a long felt need for media training in the country as well as creating a mechanism whereby the public could complain against press violations and obtain redress cheaply and speedily from a tribunal independent both of the government and the Press.

He said the establishment of the SLPI has been made after nearly three years of discussions within the three major media unions in the country, together with a host of well recognized international media groups and experts.

The newspaper industry in Sri Lanka was very small and subject to the vagaries of the world market prices of newsprint. There were good years and sometimes very bad years. He explained the difficulties for the industry alone to carry the burden of financing the projects envisaged by the SLPI.

Tracing the history of seeking funding, Mr. Wijewardene said that they had several discussions in the recent past with international agencies such as the World Bank, UNDP etc. but were hamstrung by government regulations which required foreign funding to be channeled through the Treasury. Foreign agencies were willing to help, but were themselves not prepared to permit the state to disperse their funds for local media projects because of the strings usually attached by the government.

The industry desperately needs trained journalists to feed the increasing number of media groups and three very detailed reports from the UK based Thompson Foundation, UNESCO- New Delhi, and a consultant formerly from the University of Colombo are with them for implementation, he said.

Mr. Bruce A. Lohof from the US Embassy said that he had served in ten countries and found the standard of journalism practiced in Sri Lanka "very high". He assured his government's earnest consideration of the project proposals both for the Journalism college and the press Complaints Commission.

He said he looks forward to further discussions on how to assist what looked like salutary projects engaged by the Sri Lankan Press and suggested the creation of Reader Councils from where the industry could obtain a feedback of its strengths and weaknesses.

Mr. Carol Becker, Mission Director from the US Agency for international development, Ms. Sheilla Richards from Swedish SIDA and Mr. Jeong Yeon Don from the korean Embassy also expressed their support.

Representatives from the Newspaper Society, the Editors Guild and the Free Media Movement were present at the meeting together with Mr. Kumar Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Mass communications.


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