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| Saturday, 01 March 2003 |
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Letters | |
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Please forward your letters to editor@dailynews.lk in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
The talk delivered by Prof. J. B. Dissanayake (DN, Feb. 20) at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Kandy Society of Medicine is an important talk delivered on such occasions in recent times and it pinpoints many important facts that should draw the undivided attention of both the doctors as well as the general public of Sri Lanka. Elucidating the salient features that a good doctor should necessarily possess Prof. J. B. Dissanayake points out many positive and negative features of a doctor's professional life in Sri Lanka today and how they in turn affect the patients' lives. Asking the question "Why is the physician raised to the status of a divine being?" he says: "While all others deal with man's creations, the physician deals with his life itself. His dealings begin before the birth of a child and continue right through the latter's life until his death". How true this point of view is and how many of us have ever wondered seriously about this fact. All of us should agree on the fact that one could excel in his profession (whatever his profession is) only if he has a healthy body and a healthy mind. Regarding this all important fact the learned Professor says: "The physician can give the best to his patient only if he himself is happy in both mind and body". But how many of us including physicians realize this fact? A negative aspect of many physicians today is that they do not ever care to speak much to their patients as doctors in the hospitals as well as those engaged in private practice have to unusually rush through their work to cater to the large number of patients who come to them. As such it is felt that some of our doctors thoroughly neglect this very important psychological aspect of their treatment. On this matter of vital importance Prof. Dissanayake says: "The veda mahattaya had all the time to chat with the patient. This chat, I learned later, was a part and parcel of his treatment. This part of the treatment was known by the word heda-kama". Clarifying further he says: "The informal chat that precedes the inquriy into the patient's illness prepares the necessary background for his treatment. The words of the physician have a power to heal the patient's mind. They soothe the patient". He also states the importance of ath gune (virtue or goodness of the hand) which physicians of the former generation were amply blessed with. However, the question to be asked today is: How many physicians today possess the ath gune? We must also agree with Prof. Dissanayake when he says: that certain colloquial words should not be used by doctors on their patients and that it is far better and psychologically sounder to use the patient's name. If this type of polite language is used how beneficial it would be to build up a goodwill between the doctors and their patients. He ends his very inspiring talk by appealing to all doctors of the country to rebuild the image of the physician as a God amidst men. We should be ever thankful to Prof. J. B. Dissanayake for passing on this rich food for thought which is undoubtedly very useful to both the doctors and the general public and to the Daily News for publishing this inspiring speech. ANDREW SCOTT, 'Ministry bans snack packets with toys' This is in reference to the news item in the Daily News on the above subject. It is strange that one has to wait till a death occurs to take appropriate action in this regard. Today the business sector in this country dealing with these and similar items resort to introducing some enticing matter to influence the purchaser. This introduction for the purpose of competition to increase one's sales over the other irrespective of ill effects by such introduction leaves room for concern. Although this particular case was highlighted in the press there has been many similar cases that have ended up in hospitals. Incidentally some of these people introduce various eye catching substances that are harmful. The traders are concerned about the making of maximum profit at any cost. These products on the other hand are introduced to the market under different names and one is never sure from where they come. Most of them are from unregistered unknown places. It is time serious note is taken of this matter and appropriate action to curb the spread of these and other adulterated foods. D. H. Jayaratne, I recall the case in which the famous comedian and actor, Eddie Jayamanne was hauled up before the courts for abduction of the film idol, Rukmani Devi. In the course of the proceedings the judge asked Jayamanne whether he had the financial resources to maintain a wife. Whereupon, he presumably gave a rather exaggerated account of his financial resources. This was reported in the papers. The Income Tax Department did not lose time in sending him a Tax Return form. In another instance, I recall paying a visit to the office of an assistant assessor who happened to be a friend of mine. To my surprise I found him peering into a map with a reading glass. I had to disturb him to find out how he had found time to peruse his study of geography. He grinned and told me he was scouring an aerial map of the town to find out how many large new buildings had come up to identify the owners and send them the Forms. In another case, a relative of mine related how a cousin of his was having a problem with the Tax Department having to explain how he found the money for a lucrative investment. Failing every other means to get over the problem, he had urged my relative who happened to be an old friend of the assistant assessor concerned to help him out. My relative met with him and no further action was taken. Lo and behold, no sooner this assessor got transferred than the file surfaced before his successor and action proceeded. Such was the commitment and devotion of duty of the much respect officers of this Department. Tissa Amarasekera, Unscrupulous locomotive operating trade unionists According to a news report carried in the newspapers of 23rd January 2003, it would appear that the so-called Locomotive Operating Engineers were resorting to their usual unprincipled action of launching a lightning strike holding the hapless commuters to ransom compelling the management to accede to their demands. Their inconsiderate action, quite contrary to trade union ethics, was intended to cancel an appointment or remove an officer appointed to meet an administrative need to handle the rostering of locomotive operators. Obviously it was to adopt their own exceptional methods continued to earn indiscriminate overtime and Sunday payments unintentionally endangering the safety of passengers when operating locomotives in their greed for unfair remuneration in engaging themselves on long hours of continuous duty without ensuring specified period of rest between such turns of duty. One could not expect them to be sufficiently fit to exert effective control of their trains as proved by the circumstances which led to the major fatal train disaster on 13th January 2002 near Rambukkana when speeding on down-grade track. It was only a few weeks ago that a circular issued by the management specifying period of rest to be taken by drivers between their turns of duty was revoked at the instance of the State Minister at the behest of these trade unionists for them to abandon a work-to-rule campaign organised by them. Such intervention will no doubt, promote trade union intimidation which the higher authorities have done just that much to the detriment of maintaining a disciplined service. It was also reported that after cancelling the appointment complying with the trade union demand, the GM had agreed to look into 15 other demands. It would be of interest to find out what the demands are and as to how the higher authorities will respond in the event of a similar deadlock and the resulting outcome. However, if there are such resuming work stoppages and strikes on unethical grounds holding the commuters to ransom, the writer will not be surprised if the infuriated commuters direct their pent-up venom against the unprincipled "locomotive operating engineers" to mend their ways or to seek protection from the management to avert impulsive attacks. S. Amarasuriya (A former G.M.R.), I recently had the pleasure of a 2 week holiday in Sri Lanka and have recently returned to Australia. This was my 3rd trip to Sri Lanka, but my first visit to the South and in particular Galle. As a small group, we were very much looking forward to visiting the Galle Fort, given its promotion aimed at tourism, its historical significance and as a place some of our ancestors-in-common fought. Sadly, despite its incredible natural beauty and placement, I was very disappointed. The Fort was unclean, dishevelled and appeared disrespected by some who had visited (a man had just finished urinating at one of the Bastion's as we entered). Used and discarded building rubble could be found in many of the streets, as well as the many spruikers and hawkers, taking trade from the legitimate businesses. As a suggestion, an entry fee could be imposed upon guests with the funds raised put back into the Fort's upkeep. Perhaps also the contributions of the tourist industry, those that benefit most from these types of landmarks, could be examined? I have noticed the tremendous pride Sri Lankans, at home and abroad, have in their country and find this icon's neglect at odds with that trait. MATTHEW FOGARTY, Readers may recall that the Government amended the tax law to exclude from the scope of the WHT, with effect from 1st April 2002, any deposit that bears interest of less than Rs. 6000 a month or Rs. 72000 a year. I have held and continue to hold five fixed deposits (FDs) with the NSB at its Dehiwala branch. None of these FDs can be lawfully subjected to the WHT since the monthly interest is well under Rs. 6000. During the months of April and May 2002, however, WHT was deducted from some of the deposits quite contrary to the law. When I pointed that out, the Manager advised me to get the refund from the tax authorities. I believe that was wrong advice but I let that pass since I felt that the NSB may have had some teething problems in coping with the changes in the tax law. Now I find that the NSB is plagued with incompetent management and not teething problems. In October and November 2002 WHT was wrongly deducted again from the interest payable on one of the FDs; 2-0024-10-81497; without going public , I complained to the Manager who quickly refunded the WHT that had been wrongly deducted, obviously knowing that I was too rational to accept that teething problems could occur again! However, my troubles have not ended. Like the hapless man in the Sinhala saying who was gored by a bull when he fell from a tree, true to its bungling form, the Bank deducted WHT in December too, in the very month dubbed the "bottle month"! I thought I would go public this time and ventilate my grievance and frustration since the continued flouting of the tax law by an important institution like the NSB should be exposed and nipped in the bud. There is the real danger that the NSB will lose customers like us through habitual bad management. Now that Treasury Bills (TBs) are subject to the WHT only at the primary stage and there is no further tax charged from holders who earn discounts at the secondary level, it is better and less frustrating to move over from bank deposits to TBs. T. SAMARATUNGA, |
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