January 9, 2016, 9:32 am
Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senratne yesterday said he would submit a Cabinet paper to extend the age of retirement for government employees to 65 years.
Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the new ‘Suwa Piyasa, health clinic at Sri Sumangala Boys School, Panadura, Dr. Senaratne said he was against the decision of retiring government employees at the age of 60. It was only a solution to unemployment. There were professors at Cambridge who taught at the age of 85. Knowledge can be imparted as one grows older. "But government employees are forced to retire at the peak of their service," he observed. Citing an example he said that former Ministerial secretaries had been appointed to the board of advisors to the Health Ministry to help in its functioning.
The Ministry donated the equipment for the school’s Suwa Piyasa health clinic which was constructed by its old boys association.
Dr. Senaratne said Education, Health and Defence had been allocated the largest amount of money from the 2016 budget. The health allocations would be utilised not only to upgrade hospitals in the country but would also be used to renovate the health clinics in schools and provide them with the necessary equipment.
The Minister observed that people should be respected when they were alive. But, Sri Lankans paid their respects to people only posthumously. It was the case with Premier S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. (DJ)
