Victory for Lanka

Sri Lanka received a significant boost to its international image with the election Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva as Chairman of the World Health Organisation. That he is the first South Asian to be appointed to this post in the prestigious world body is indeed a singular honour to the country.

As President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Minister during his congratulatory telephone call, Sri Lanka and South Asia would immensely benefit with a Sri Lankan holding the post of Chairman of WHO.

It is hoped Minister de Silva who is always in the news for his dynamic action affecting the country's health sector would be up to this onerous task and keep Sri Lanka's image high with his performance as the new Chairman of WHO.

We are certain the Minister would acquit himself well in the post given his close rapport with the membership of the body over the years and a clear grasp of its mechanism.

The Minister also stated his new position would not detract him from his primary job as the country's Health Minister. A WHO Secretariat would be set up here to carry out his duties effectively. This itself is a plus factor where priority could be accorded to Sri Lanka's health care needs.

The appointment could also be seen as an endorsement of the high standard of Sri Lanka's health care system compared with many Asian countries. We have one of the lowest infant mortality rates in Asia and our life expectancy too risen considerably from what it was two decades ago.

In addition Sri Lanka has some of the best State-of-the-art hospitals in the region which can boast of a quality health care system to challenge even some of the advanced countries, with our doctors second to none in their professional skills and expertise.

There is however much scope for improvement and the Minister it is hoped would do his utmost in his new post as head of WHO to remedy these shortcomings and showcase Sri Lanka's health care system as a shining example to the world.

Minister de Silva's appointment to this most prestigious World Body is also a clear recognition of the steps taken by the Government to uplift the country's health sector. It is also a resounding slap in the face of certain critics who tried to portray Sri Lanka as being in the international dog house. Sri Lanka has scored on the international front despite the vicious campaign launched against it by vested interests.

It is indeed sad that no congratulatory message emanated from the Leader of the Opposition on this momentous occasion for Sri Lanka. This sadly is a trait that had proved the bane for national unity all along our journey since independence. We should at least now divest our national body of the slough of petty politics and unite as one to at least in the act of rejoicing in the country's hour of glory.

Our front page story yesterday quoted Minister De Silva as saying "I will explain to them the real situation of Sri Lanka and use that opportunity to build a positive image for Sri Lanka at international level".

No doubt from his exalted position in a prestigious world body he would have the opportunity of shoring up support for the country in a multiplicity of ways. From this vantage he could also work towards negating the vicious campaigns being carried out against the country by unpatriotic elements and also help ward off unwarranted attacks by other international actors who are being duped by these very same elements.

As the Minister said "Sri Lanka lost the opportunity of getting elected to the UN Human Rights body because of a well organised conspiracy launched by the LTTE and its supporters including certain Sri Lankans".

It is clear that Minister de Silva will be on more than one mission during his tenure as WHO Chairman. While no doubt his advocacy as head of WHO would bring unprecedented benefits to the country's health sector it also can be safely assumed he would leave no stone unturned to debunk the false propaganda carried out against the State.

The Government should seize on this opportunity of having one of its Cabinet Ministers heading an influential international body and while extracting the maximum milage should go out of its way to provide him with all the resources and wherewithal to put Sri Lanka in the correct perspective to the outside world.