“Qualifications Irrelevant To Be Director General Health Services” Says Unqualified ‘Director’ SJGH
The post of director Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (SJGH) is held by an unqualified person, Colombo Telegraph learns. Thus, a mere medical officer without the required qualifications is enjoying a monthly income of Rs 600 000 of public money.
SJGH, a tertiary care hospital and a post graduate training institute is governed under the Act of Parliament of 54/1983. In March 2015, when Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage assumed duties as chairman SJGH, a medical officer named Dr. Susitha Senaratne materialized, declaring that he has been appointed director SJGH. Senaratne is a medical officer with no post graduate or professional qualifications to hold this office. Kahandaliyanage, a director at Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka and family friend of Senaratne didn’t table this appointment at the SJGH Board, the appointing authority.
Fully aware that the Board cannot approve an irregular appointment of an unqualified person, Kahandaliyanage went on to obtain the approval of the salary for this unqualified, non-appointed ‘director’ while the Board members impotently looked on.
Dr. Susitha Senaratne with the President
When the 2016 Committee of Public Enterprise (COPE) chaired by Sunil Handunneththi (MP) met, Anura Jayawickrama was the secretary to the Ministry of Health (MOH). The COPE severely criticized SJGH Board for sitting on this irregular appointment. Kahandaliyanage revealed to the COPE that the only ‘letter of appointment’ he has was one issued by D.M.A. R.B Dissanayake the secretary to the MOH in March 2015, addressed to director Lady Ridgeway Hospital requesting Senaratne’s release ‘to cover up duties of director SJGH for three years from 26.03.2015’. Jayawickrama who understood the illegality, convened a meeting of the SJGH Board and instructed the chairman to table this appointment, and if it’s not accepted by the Board, to immediately advertise the position. Kahandaliyanage, promptly agreed and for the next two and a half years did nothing substantial to follow up. In spite of the subsequent written instructions by Jayawickrama via the minutes of the meeting, Kahandaliyanage bought time, stating lamely that he was waiting for the secretary to “tell him what to do”. Contacted by Colombo Telegraph, Kahandaliyanage accepted that to date he hasn’t tabled this letter appointing Senaratne for cover up duties at the SJGH Board.
Noting the delaying tactics of Kahandaliyanage, Jayawickrama via letter to the secretary of COPE, notified this serious irregularity. Kahandaliyanage who denied to Colombo Telegraph of ever receiving a copy of such letter or the minutes of the post-COPE meeting, didn’t inform the Board of this communication and played for time as Jayawickrama was due to retire in few months. In essence, Kahandaliyanage violated the law of the country, the Act of parliament of 54/1983 and the recommendation of the COPE. He systematically suppressed information from the Board playing in to the con artistry of Senaratne in convincing others that political servitude will save him from repercussions. Kahandaliyanage defended this appointment with Colombo Telegraph citing the appointment of 16 specialists to SJGH as per a ministerial directive issued by Nimal Siripala de Silva, former Minister of Health in 2007. Colombo Telegraph learns that while a ministerial directive was indeed issued, all sixteen specialists were fully qualified with Board Certification by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM). Some of them were recruited following competitive interview in spite of the directive.
