Monday, October 24, 2011

Forum on Corporate environment sustainability

The 16th International Forestry and Environment Symposium organized by the Department of Forestry and Environment Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura will be held from October 28-29 2011.
The Department of Forestry and Environment Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura is organizing a "Forum on Corporate Environment Sustainability" on October 28 from 7 pm at the Golden Rose Conference Center, Boralesgamuwa in line with the 16th Annual International Forestry and Environment Symposium.
The objective of this forum is to educate and create awareness among the private sector on emerging trends in Corporate Environment Sustainability, Head of the Forestry and Environment Prof Hiran Amarasekera said. Contact Jithya Wijesinghe on 0715870146 for further details.

Agriculture: Not talked about enough



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Welcome

Welcome to the sixty second edition of this regular column. Here, we discuss a wide range of topics around Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), many aspects of Business, Education, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Innovation and the Society at large.

Last week, one of my friends pointed out to me that although so many columns have been written under ‘The Catalyst’, I haven’t touched on Agriculture so far. That made me think. True, here and elsewhere, there is a lack of discussion about the Sri Lankan agriculture sector as well as agri-based businesses we could do. I felt like it would be worthy to discuss the importance of it for our country.

Agriculture in Sri Lanka

While there hasn’t been much discussion over the topic, the sector hasn’t been performing that bad over a period of time. According to Central bank reports, paddy produce has increased year on year. There had been 2,859,000 metric tons in 2002 while it has been 3,246,000 metric tons of paddy in 2005. The result in 2009 has been 3,652,000 metric tons while 2011 is over 4,000,000 metric tons. Even the tea and rubber exports have increased. Coconut has slightly come down though.

If we consider the total GDP, the agriculture sector falls behind industry and services.

About 32% of the direct employment of the entire country comes from this sector. A bit surprisingly, this percentage hasn’t come down significantly in the last 10 years.

Generally speaking, today we are self sufficient in terms of the rice production and there were reports that a smaller stock was even donated to Africa recently. Which is good. If we can achieve the same for all food items, that will be great. It is an open world and importing and exporting of different consumables, products and services are a must between countries. However, food, what we eat, ideally should be produced within the country. Even countries like USA, UK and Australia, which are supposedly developed in terms of industry, in fact take agriculture very seriously. They all have a sound and strong agricultural and agri-based products sector.

Still, in Sri Lanka, traditional agriculture doesn’t seem to be flourishing as we would like it to be, at the ground level for the people involved. I take part in a radio program for FM Derana titled ‘Ape Gama’, so I get a chance to hear what ground level people do, say, go through and feel. As there is a focus on the rural sector, we interact with farmers and that’s a great firsthand experience.

New Generation

One area that needs attention is the point that farming is not perceived as an exciting career option by the younger generation. While statistics show that the percentage involved in agriculture hasn’t significantly changed, when you talk to farmers you will feel it’s not the first choice among youngsters. Why?

We are a nation based on agriculture. Even our culture has its roots in agriculture. Some 70% of people live in non-urban areas and they all have something to do with agriculture even though they might not be directly employed in it. It is in the blood. But why have we failed to make it an exciting option for the new generations?

Firstly, the economics is one area. Secondly it’s the perception that newer jobs in offices and industry are better. Then again is it really? A job is a job. As long as it gives self satisfaction to the individual, helps the society and provides enough economic benefit for the individual, then it has to be a good career option. If the relevant authorities can do their bit to ensure that those involved receive a sufficient income through farming, then a part of it is taken care of.

As a nation we need to work on improving the perception so that people feel that farming is a good career option. Mass scale projects like Divi Neguma which tries to encourage everyone to have their own vegetable garden is a good initiative so that social understanding on the importance is increased.

In the olden days Sri Lankans used to say ‘mada soda gath kala goviya raja kamatath sudusui’, which means the farmer is even suitable to be the king after washing off the mud. We need to make that statement meaningful today!

Media and Technology

Media projects like ‘Shoora Goviya’ which was on Derana TV would also help challenge the perception. If you can become a star by dancing or singing, why can’t you be so by farming where you actually feed this nation?

‘Manussakama’ project of CIC is also a commendable project to take farming to the mainstream mediums. Wasantha Dukkgannarala’s role in taking farming from rural areas to mainstream media over various programs over the years is admirable.

The media presence is strong in the country, and utilising them for things that this nation really need is the sensible thing to do. Unfortunately, a lot of air time is used for things that don’t add much value to this country or the people.

‘Navagoviya’ Project which aims to educate farmers in the use of information technology for agriculture was inaugurated together with Information & Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) (http://www.navagoviya.org/) and is another good initiative.

But we need more of those!

Middlemen and low income needs to be tackled. Technology could be used for this. ICT would be a very useful tool. A few weeks ago we spoke of a concept by Tilak Dissanayake (tilak@antsglobal.lk) that uses the strengths of existing technologies such as ICT (Information and Communications Technology), electronics, compressed air motors, and wind energy and has combined in innovative ways to resolve the long standing issue of getting fresh produce to the market at a fair price to both producers and consumers.

On the other hand one reason that farming is considered a good career option in countries like Australia is the use of technology. Youngsters don’t necessarily feel they live in the past as agriculture actually moves with time. We need that involvement too. If we don’t, we wouldn’t be able to compete on the production or the cost scale of the other countries anyway.

Education

One other area that needs attention is the education system. In a country like ours, the agriculture should be better covered in it. But I should say that its covered minimally. If we are to create an interest then it’s easier if children are exposed to it in the early stages. In addition we need to check whether we are properly utilising agriculture graduates from our universities. I have a few friends who studied agriculture from Peradeniya and Ruhuna universities, but they actually didn’t pick agriculture related careers after completing their studies. They work in banks and the like. Why is that? We haven’t brought it out as a career. If something is considered a proper career, then there should be positions for different levels of education and different areas of interest.

Agri Businesses

Emphasis should be placed on the importance of making people aware about the business side of agriculture.

As long as people perceive farming to be the same old traditional vocation, the new generation wouldn’t see a career or future in it. And also, in countries where agriculture has become a big business, it’s actually done as a business. So, we need to discuss and promote the ways that agriculture and agri-related areas can be made into business ventures. It could well be SMEs, but start from there and help people to take it forward.

If you take the full span of agriculture, we can identify main phases such as Crop cultivation, Water management, Fertilizer Application, Fertigation, Pest management, Harvesting, Post harvest handling, Transporting of food/food products, Packaging, Food preservation, Food processing/value addition, Food quality management, Food safety, Food storage and Food marketing. And that’s a lot and there would be a million business ideas within them. Promoting the concepts of entrepreneurship, especially around identifying opportunities and evaluating them is key. But it has to be promoted in a way that the message hits the ground.

FM Derana - Ape Gama aims to empower the rural sector, the agriculture as well as the SMEs to see the exciting side of it and move forward with determination.

Get in Touch

If you have an event or a group that you would like me to talk to, I can see if I can make some time for such activities. I am happy to speak to groups about the ICT/BPO sector, youth leadership, business, careers, communication skills, soft skills and entrepreneurship. I always take pleasure from such activities.

If you have any feedback, please drop a note to yva@lankabpoacademy.lk

By the way, last weeks’ topic was Customer Service. If you missed it can be found online at http://pdfs.island.lk/2011/10/17/b4.pdf . After reading it, a couple of people told me about their interesting customer service experiences, some good, some bad and some ugly! If you like, you can share them with us through the above email address and those could give some points for us to discuss in the future to improve these services in Sri Lanka.

See you next week!



The Columnist

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama is a professional with significant experiences. In 2011 he was recognised as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Sri Lanka. Yasas has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Colombo and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University in Australia. He has worked in the USA, UK, Sri Lanka & Australia and being trained in the USA & Malaysia. He is currently involved in the training organisation, Lanka BPO Academy (www.lankabpoacademy.lk). Apart from this column, he is a regular resource person for ‘Ape Gama’ program of FM Derana (Sunday 3-5pm). Yasas is happy to answer your relevant questions – email him at yva@lankabpoacademy.lk .

Private Medical College - a dIfferent point of view



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By Dr. Sankalpa Marasinghe

I read with disbelief and dismay, the "point of view" of one Mr. Edward Gunawardena, on ‘The Island’ newspaper, 17th October 2011. I was even more astonished to see the same letter repeated in The Island on 18th October. Despite the rumors of SAITM allocating Rs 20 million as their "media budget", I truly believe it was an unintended mistake by the newspaper; my only hope is that this reply would also get repeated "by mistake" on two days.

Claiming himself to be an "Advisor" to the UGC during the dispute of NCMC (North Colombo Medical Faculty) he has repeatedly mislead the public. It would be in the best interest of the country to keep such advisors away from the current business of the UGC.

While it is required to respond to the allegations leveled against the GMOA by Mr Gunawardena it is pertinent to expose what he is trying to hide and how his writing deceive the average reader, helped by his entry to the subject with his own claims of being someone involved in the UGC and university matters.

1. Free education

"In fact Free education does not exist anymore"

Says Mr Gunawardena! On what evidence does he declare so? I quote His Excellency the president at a recent press discussion "I will not curtail the free education of the country’s children". http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=11792. If there is no "free education" in existence, what was his Excellency talking about? But according to Mr Gunawardena "As long as we have fools and opportunists in politics the abolition of free education will not be considered"

Declarations by individuals who do not understand even the basis of free education are not just deceiving but grossly damaging to the precious system of free education. While accusing GMOA of being "irrational" Mr Gunawardena attempts to hoodwink the public by baseless statements. Let me remind him what the word free education really means.

The government provides primary secondary and tertiary education free of charge to the public. How does government afford such a facility? Especially in a country like ours where the economy is still developing? This is the argument by many who think that the explanation appearing in their own small brain is in fact the reality. However, the answer is TAX. We pay taxes and that tax money is the government’s source of revenue. What if we did not have free education? Suppose the primary education costs Rs 10,000/= per month per child. A father who has two young kids schooling, should have at least Rs 20,000/= more in his pocket to give them education. A Grade II medical officer (doctor) whose basic salary is Rs 28095.00/= should have to be paid Rs 48,000.00/= !! (for the pay slip of a government medical officer annex1). Not only the government servants but also the private sector workers will have to be paid at least Rs 20,000/= extra.

It should be realized that the economics of services provided by the Government is not so simple as Mr Gunawardena says. It is a cycle and the Money of the country is cycled and "free education" is a name for a particular stage of the cycle. Contrary to the propagated "idea" that free education has fallen out of the skies, it should be appreciated that the concept of free education is a solid and deep economic strategy which even the developed countries are now returning to. It is an investment which has given Sri Lanka a long term benefit.

Another misconception which is doing the rounds these days is that "everything is being privatized and why not education"? Even in the mother land of capitalism, education is NOT privatized! Margaret Thatcher, the greatest ambassador of capitalism did NOT privatize higher education and especially NOT medical education. Free education is not a concept which necessarily belongs to either Capitalism or Socialism. It’s an advanced economic strategy with proven benefits over others. It is not outdated and it certainly is NOT useless!

Opposition to free education is not a new development. Even at the inception, C W W Kannangara had to face opponents within his own party who later became national leaders. The arguments were the same as now and only difference was that there was that those voices were not paid back then.

It should be emphasized that even the Medical faculty which the SAITM claims to have an "affiliation", with Nyshny Novgorod State Medical Academy is a state medical faculty in Russia!

However, it is due to such ignorant "advisors" in the past that the country has suffered immensely with losses of many young lives. Advising to award the Colombo medical faculties (CMF) degree, MBBS (Col) which was given to students who gets selected to CMF with the highest aggregates in GCE A/L to the Ragama private medical college (NCMC) which had selected students who had done even Home Science for their A/Ls was the blunder of the century !

It is worthwhile to recollect that there were two futile attempts to start PMCs, the North Lanka Medical faculty and the Vignan institute, after the collapse of NCMC and before SAITM.

So in reality, free education does exist and it is one of the most successful economic and educational strategies the world over.

2. Doctors and their conduct

"What a village midwife did some years ago is today performed by a FRCOG (London) assisted by a MBBS (Col) and a team of nurse in an Air conditioned, Sterilised theatre and what cost to the patient"

Ignorance is one thing but Mr Gunawardena has introduced a whole new meaning to the phrase "foot in his mouth"

If what the "Village midwife did" were to persist we would have had a maternal mortality rate to be displayed "deaths per 1000 live births". However, Sri Lankan maternal mortality rate is 39.6 deaths per 100000 live births (one lakh live births)!! A phenomenal figure comparable with developed countries in the world. Our Neonatal mortality rate is 11.2 per 1000 live births! It is the blabbering of those ignorant that spoil such an achievement. Further, it is the dedicated work of not only the doctors but the well trained midwives and the nursing staff together with all other auxiliary staff which helped to achieve this state.

It seems Mr Gunawardena is still living in the 1950s. Sri Lanka has long established the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM). Doctors who only have FRCOG are NOT certified to be consultants in this country any more. We have surpassed the stage of dependency to the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and our PGIM and the board of study is comparable to any other in the world. Sri Lankan specialists are qualified with Sri Lankan post graduate degrees. They complete a mandatory foreign training period after which they are evaluated and given the board certification. It is a very stringent procedure with equal status to any other foreign country. The consultants and their respective colleges in Sri Lanka overlook the training and the practice of the relevant field in the country.It is such a shame that individuals who are unqualified to appraise the subject are wasting an entire page of a National newspaper (twice in one week) to discuss matters they do not understand.

Mr Gunawardena asks "at what cost" the patients are treated in Air conditioned theatres? Well for Mr Gunawardena’s information almost all labor rooms of state hospitals in the country are now being air-conditioned. And the patients are not charged a cent!

"…….do these qualifications alone make one a specialist doctor?"

Yes they do !!

Because, unlike a qualification in any other field, in medicine the qualifications are not given for paper work. That’s why it takes 10 to 15 years for a doctor to become a specialist. It is a training and an

evaluation process. It is a process of continuous assessment. The training ends only when a panel of "judges" recommends that the competency is adequate. And the training is not necessarily confined

to clinical skills only. It should be emphasized that the "status" and the "competence" of Sri Lankan specialists should not be discredited because of Mr Gunawardena’s ignorance.

Mr Gunawardena’s wisdom could not be any better than a village damsel’s

as explained by his prediction that "Very soon the MBBS will be replaced by degrees such as Bachelor of Cardiology, Bachelor of Oncology, Bachelor of Nephrology, Bachelor of Urology etc".

It is such a shame that individuals who do not have even an ounce of knowledge of what a basic degree or what a post graduate degree is are making comments about subjects they do not comprehend. The University of Peradeniya would not be very proud of this son she has produced.

3. Honor and ethics

Mr Gunawardena seems to have developed a serious liking to the individuals who started the "malambe" institute. While questioning the morale and the ethics of GMOA and the doctors of state sector, he praises the individual who claim himself to be a "professor"!. May I ask, a professor in what? There is no practice of granting professorships to individuals similar to the doctorates given to every Tom and Dick. The chair of professor is a post given by a university after accomplishing a very high level of qualification. Prof A H Sheriffdeen, who had written an article to The Island on 20th September 2011 (http://pdfs.island.lk/2011/09/20/p9.pdf) explains how detrimental it is to open PMCs without standards. There are people waiting to cash in on the outcome of the current debate and like opening up "international schools" and " BOI approved Chinese hospitals" we may see a mushrooming of such institutions which even the judicial system may not be able to prevent. Unlike the infamous "professor" at "malambe", Prof Sheriffdeen is an emeritus professor in surgery and arguably the best product of Sri Lankan surgical teaching fraternity and many of us are simply fortunate enough just to have been his students. It is such a disgrace to see such a title being misused and Mr Gunawardena seems to have seen no evil in it.

However, he seems to be very concerned about the local graduates and their standards. He claims that "many of the MBBS graduates who pass out from the state medical faculties are themselves doubtful of the quality and standard of their own degrees". How many local graduates came to Mr Gunawardena and told so, may I ask? Rather than making unsubstantial comments, he should bring evidence to prove what he claims.

It is evident that somebody has given Mr Gunawardena the list of departments in the "malambe" PMC. He is "impressed" by the departments which are not found in any other medical faculty in the world such as "Latin", "Medical history" etc. However, the serious deficiency of permanent staff and the relevant departments has been conveniently omitted.

Mr Gunawardena has accused the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) on several accounts. Failing to stop "exploitation" of patients is one of them. This writer has been able to obtain a comment from Vidyajothi, Prof Lalitha Mendis, the president of SLMC.

"There are over 16000 doctors working in Sri Lanka at the moment. SLMC will investigate any formal complaint against any registrant with regard to unethical conduct. However, the Sri Lanka Medical Council is not only concerned about the exploitation of the patients by doctors but also exploitation of unsuspecting parents by bogus medical schools" she said.

Finally, why the Government Medical Officers’ Association opposes the "malambe" PMC?

The stated grievance of the GMOA is that no private institution can be allowed to function if it does not conform to standards according to Mr Edward Gunawardena.

Exactly ! However, GMOA is not the first and certainly not the only opposition the ill-conceived "malambe" campus has. The SLMC from its inception (2009) has made clear that the said institution does not have its recognition. Dr H H R Samarasinghe, who was the president of SLMC at the time and whom Mr Gunawardena claims to have had worked with has written to the management of the "malambe" PMC and informed that it is not recognized by the SLMC. Many paid advertisements were published by the SLMC instructing the public of the same. Yet, the "pioneers" have persisted and did not heed the call of the SLMC. Following are the facts in a nut shell.

1. "malambe" institution had NO BOI approval to start a medical faculty.

(BOI letter 2010.08.09)

2. No SLMC recognition, even though the institution repeatedly advertised that they have.

(SLMC letter 2009.05.28)

3. No affiliation with the Nyshny Novgorod State Medical Academy and the students of the faculty will NOT get MBBS (NNSMA)

Excerpts from the MOU between the two institutions; 1.4:- Upon obtaining the official recognition of the medical faculty in Sri Lanka, the duration of the course in SAITM is 5 years with student intake of about 100 students per year in accordance with the curriculum of NNSMA and on completion of the course graduates are awarded degree of SAITM.

NB: this MOU is not an agreement of affiliation. In fact it is a "contract agreement in providing services on Teaching in General Medicine"

4. No teaching hospital; which is a pre-requisite for any medical faculty.

NB: a functioning 300 bedded hospital is a mandatory requirement to even submit an application for a medical faculty in India.

The list of undelivered promises is as follows.

a. 2009:- A high-tech teaching hospital will be constructed (UGC report 19th November 2011)

b. 2009 at first intake:- Clinical training in Russia (SAITM brochure)

c. 2010:- Clinical training at an 800 bedded private hospital. (No private hospital in this country is equipped with 800 beds)

d. 2010/2011:- Clinical training at Homagama and Avissavella base hospital. (No health Ministry approval to acquire such a facility)

e. 2011:- 1004 bedded teaching hospital will be constructed ???

5. No permanent teaching staff; all the lecturers are either on sabbatical leave or on part time basis. However, a "promise" by the entrepreneur has gone in vain; I will get best professors and lecturers not only from Sri Lanka but also from UK and Australia" – letter to SLMC president

6. Entry criteria for students are at best questionable. According to a newspaper article on Divaina 20th October 2011 students who don’t even have 3 S passes at GCE A/L are enrolled. http://www.divaina.com/2011/10/20/news02.html



Editor’s Note:
Dr. Marasinghe levels a veiled allegation against us that the ‘media budget’ of the Malabe PMC had something to do with the article at issue. We would like to tell him with due respect that The Island cannot be swayed by moneybags unlike some unscrupulous doctors who have sold their souls to the Pharmaceutical Mafia for foreign trips, milk food for their offspring, tyres for their vehicles, television sets, refrigerators, hampers, sponsorships for their official and social functions etc.

IUSF accuses govt. of cutting allocations to education



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by Dasun Edirisinghe

The JVP affiliated powerful students union IUSF claimed yesterday that the government while allowing private educational institutions in Sri Lanka, has cut down the funds for state sector education next year, according to the appropriation bill presented to parliament on Oct. 18.

Convener of the Inter University Students Federation, Sanjeewa Bandara told The Island that the government had allocated 2.6 per cent on school education out of the total expenditure, down from 3 per cent last year.

For the higher education sector, the government allocated 2 per cent from the total expenditure last year but this time it was 1.9 per cent, he said.

"President Rajapaksa’s government cut down funds for both school education and higher education from 2007," Sanjeewa said adding that it was paving the way for privatising free education system.

He said that Rajapaksa government had cut down the capital expenditure on education by 50 per cent since 2005.

The government allocated Rs 8044 for the national schools in 2007 and it had been reduced to Rs. 3869 million in 2011. The reduction is over 50 per cent, said Bandara.

He said that the government allocated Rs. 9483 for higher education in 2010 and it was reduced to Rs. 8118 million in 2011. The government had cut down Rs. 1370 from higher education sector in 2011.

"Rajapaksa government has allocated the lowest percentage to the education sector from the Gross Domestic Production in the history." The government, he said, did not increase at least Mahapola payments of undergraduates but gave tax concessions to the private higher education institutions.

According to their calculations, the Mahapola payments should be increased to Rs. 4000 with the current cost of living, but it was still Rs. 1500.

"We will protest to force the government to increase the allocations for the education," said Bandara.