Sleeping Administrators Of Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital
Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Dr. Susitha Senaratne and his wife
Pretentious sleep is the surest form of slumber.
It has been reported to Colombo Telegraph that following the article exposing the illegal appointmentof the un-qualified Director of Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (SJGH) Dr. Susitha Senaratne, Janaka Sugathadasa, Secretary Ministry of Health and Dr. Jayasundera Bandara, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) have gone into voluntary administrative slumber.
Dr. Susitha Senaratne, close personal associate of Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health, with the consistent and illegal support of Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, Chairman SJGH has been occupying the office of the Director SJGH without as much a letter of appointment for over two and a half years. Kahandaliyanage illegally suppressed all official communication and memoranda to the Board pertaining to this illegal and un-administrative quasi appointment of a quasi Director to SJGH since March 2015 buying in to the con artistry of Susitha Senaratne in portraying himself as a right hand man of President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Health.
This stark violation of the rule of law by appointing a mere medical officer without any post graduate or professional qualifications as the Director of a Post Graduate Training Institute and a Tertiary Care Hospital was twice queried by the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) in the context of violating the Medical Services Minutes as gazette by government gazettes of 1493/3 of 16.04.2007, 1630/10 of 30.11.2009, 1883/17 of 11.10.2014 ,1996/46 of 09.12.2016, the Act of Parliament of 1983/54, the common law of the country and common decency. Law or decency appear immaterial to the key players of this irregularity, namely, Athula Kahandaliyanage, Susitha Senaratne ,Janaka Sugathadasa and Jayasundera Bandara. Kahandaliyanage who twice defended this non-existent appointment, illegal at best, at the 2016 and 2017 COPE meetings continues to uphold the illegal status-quo to which Janaka Sugathadasa and Jayasundara Bandara are willingly complicit.
1. Susitha Senaratne stated to the Colombo Telegraph that he has monthly earnings amounting to Rs 300 000 as Director SJGH. No audit has been carried out to look in to such amounts of remuneration not stipulated in government or SJGH Board salary scales.
2. Susitha Senaratne stated to the Colombo Telegraph that he functioned as the Acting Deputy Director Accident Service of National Hospital of Sri Lanka from 2008-2013. Janaka Sugathdasa avoided confirming this claim to CT palming off the question to the DGHS who in turn avoided answering as well. CT learns that this was a gross lie stated by Senaratne. No disciplinary inquiry has been initiated in to this false statement made by an officer of the government holding a responsible post.
3. Susitha Senaratne stated to the Colombo Telegraph that qualifications are not essential to be the Director General of Health Services in Sri Lanka, the highest post in the Department of Health. No disciplinary inquiry has been initiated in to the issue of false statement undermining the authority and the position of the DGHS of Sri Lanka. Further it is deplorable to note that the DGHS Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, ex-officio member of the SJGH Board who maintains meek silence on the matter has not even had the minimally required strength of character to present himself at the Board Meeting to challenge this statement, at least verbally. Needless to add, Janaka Sugathdasa, who has practically patented his unique brand of “Sugthadasa Slumber” remains well and truly asleep, administratively.
4. Susitha Senarante holds a private channeling General Practice at Malambe. This is a practice explicitly forbidden for those holding senior administrative positions in General Hospitals. When inquired by CT, Senaratne stated that such a rule does not apply to himself and may be applicable to those holding positions such as DGHS. When contacted by CT for confirmation, Sugathadasa feigned the signature Sugathadasa Slumber and the DGHS Jayasundera Bandara also maintained his silence. Needless to add, no disciplinary inquiry has been initiated regarding this matter either.
5. Athula Kahandaliyanage, by his own admission has sanctioned 100 days of overseas leave for Senaratne in violation with the overseas leave application process stipulated by the Ministry of Health and the Establishment Code since March 2015 to date. No disciplinary inquiry has been initiated against Kahandaliyanage or Senaratne.
