@ 2006-04-27 – 01:51:37
Among the 15 cricketers who have most run outs in ODIs, five of them are from Sri lanka. This includes the top position occupied by the current SL captain, marvan. Among the names are heavy weights like Arjuna, Aravinda, little kalu leaving aside the pacer Vaas.
Waht can be the reason for this? Is this due to the constitution of the rice eating sub continental cricketers especially the lankans ?
@ 2006-04-27 – 00:05:06
Hi guys
As a medical pro, this trend has been disturbing me for some time. Some die hard religious guys are using claims that praying can heal diseases like cancers. It is true that praying, meditation can indirectly contribute to the well being of human body. But, how can it becomes the radical treatment of a deadly disease which minute by minute sends its cells to destry the body.Now, these claims are used to attract more and more to their religion also.
Guys what do you think? Shall we stick to well tested medical procedures, combine both alternative elements with med. procedures or use only healing powers of prayers? What do yu all think?
@ 2006-04-19 – 23:46:44
CRICKET IS A FUNNY GAME.DON'T YOU THINK SO? THEY SAY IT " GLORIOUS UNCERTAINITY". LAST WEEK ALL EYES WERE ON BANGLADESH TO SEE IF THEY PULL OFF A MEMORABLE VICTORY OVER KINGS-AUSSIES.THEY VERY NEARLY NAILED THE COFFIN OF KANGAROOS. BUT THIS KIND OF A JOKE NO ONE EXPECTED WITH GREATEST RESPECT TO DIZZY.
GILEPSIE GOES AS THE NIGHT WATCHMAN. PONTER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED HIM TO JUST SURVIVE THE NIGHT. NEXT DAY, PROBABLY A COUPLE OF OVERS. BUT DIZZY COMES OUT SHINING BRIGHT. HALF A TON. NO. A TON . NO. A MASSIVE DOUBLE TON. AMAZING STUFF. HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER BIRTHDAY BASH THAN A DOUBLE TON IN TEST CRICKET. EVEN GREAT SOULS LIKE SACHIN HAS FOUND DOUBLE TONNS ARE HARD TO COME BY. WHAT AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
BANGLADESH TRIES TO COME OUT OF THE QUAGMIRE. EVERYTIME WHEN THEY DO SO , THEY FIND A THORN IN THE FLESH.
CRICKET IS A LOVELY GAME. IT HAS FUN. CRICKET IS UNPREDICTABLE AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IT IS NOTHING BUT A PUZZLE TO MANY OUT SIDE THE BRITISH EMPIRE
@ 2006-04-17 – 05:31:05
Blokes question the validity of celebrating new year at the begining of the year according to the christain calendar and again in April as the sihala and tamil new year. There is nothing wrong in it as it enables people to deviate from head spinning daily routines at work and have a fresh breath. For me it helps renewing ties with friends and relatives by visiting them .This is the only time of the year, I find a break to visit my kith and kin in a world full of artificial links based on your position, benefit to others etc.True, it costs your pocket. But, I think it is worthwhile as boring and monotonous life styles are changed at least for a while. further, it is the time to tell your children who watch western stuff that there is something called "your unique identity and culture embedded in it"
For me a sikh, new year time brings another joy. It is the revelation of Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh at Anand Pur Sahib. I am indeed fortunate that the Singhala new year and Baishaki come together on the very same day.
Happy new year to all singhala and Tamil brothers
@ 2006-04-07 – 06:19:10
EMERGENCE OF A NEW GENERATION OF WRITERS
The otherday somebody on NZTV was criticizing blog writers.The biggest complain was that blogwriting has no standards. Additionally, she was trying to say that there were no filtering to the process to select better ones.That is just to repeat what censor boards do to films in our Asian countries taking off the aesthetic value of the efforts of the director
.Then she raised questions about the quality of writing. All rubish.
But today when I open my blog, suddenly it strikes to me " hey ' here what you were looking for" I find my new found cyber friend Ranjitha's two latest postings.It shows total opposite side to the NZ writer's comment on TVNZ. True , there could be contributions of various standards. Blame the correct use of language. Recently, while surfing for nostalgic memories of home, I find somebody's comment of channel one( Maharaja TV) using poor english. By nature, we are species looking for 100% pure Britsh. Just foreget about that for a while.Language use, content all these things are actually important. But the aesthetic value is what I adore most. Ifthe presentation is aesthetic, then scientifi report also becomes readable. Aestheticism that is preciously what I find in her posting on childish feelings. Having sent a comment to her , I opened her very latest one posted barely 3 hours ago. It was so fresh, emotional. Subconciously I feel that she has the rare god gifted talent of describing human feelings quite beautifully. Human feelings are so important as world is on the foundation of human love, care and affection.during the lunch break, I watch DR PHILL in New Orleans helping victims.It is so pathetic. Dr Phil's counselling was great. Then, Oprah comes. She exposes the outpouring love and grief of JFK( Jnr) friend.She brings me closer to tears. Human feelings
are so variable and wonderful. These feelings are what this lady nicely weaves from raw materials.Isn't that unfair to make harsh comments such as what I mentioned at the beginning. People try their hands on writing.We must help them. Blogs are good gorunds for them to thrive. Infants do not stand up as soon as they are born. They need time,practice, help.Same way with the passage of time, bloggers will contribute immensely to the cause of writing. My friend's writing is so novel it adds a sort of freshness. I write to her " keep on writing.You may be in the footsteps of Arundati Roy" Reading your random( are they random? Ranjitha let me know)thoughts make my innerself joyous.
@ 2006-04-05 – 00:43:56
This is an article which I contributed to the Weekly Epidemiological Review of the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka.It will appear shortly in the WER. Also accessible URL http://epid.gov.lk
Ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion; where are we?
World Health Organisation has laid down ethical criteria for drug promotion based on the updating and extension of ethical and scientific criteria under the revised drug strategy. The main objective of the ethical criteria for drug promotion is to support and encourage the improvement of health care through the rational use of medicinal drugs.
Ethical criteria relates to the proper behaviour in drug promotion consistent with the search for truthfulness and righteousness. The criteria should assist in judging whether promotion of drugs is in accordance with acceptable ethical standards. These standards need to be applied to Over The Counter(OTC) as well as prescription medicine, medicines of western and other systems and any product promoted as a medicine.In the WHO document, promotion refers to all informational and persuasive activities by manufacturers and distributors, effect of which is to induce the prescription, supply, purchase and /or use of medicinal drugs.
Contrary to laid down ethical criteria, many have pointed out the manipulation of various methods by the industry to change the behaviour of prescribers. There is substantial evidence to show that advertising influences doctors' behaviour more than they might think. This applies to our setting as well though the published scientific evidence in this regard is sparse.
One of the methods used by the industry to change the behaviour of prescribers is advertising in medical journals. Advertising is reported to be a privileged channel of communication between the pharmaceutical industry and clinicians. It is invariably one of the most powerful weapons of drug promotion. Studies have demonstrated that drug advertising uses strong imagery to fabricate mythical associations between medical conditions and branded drugs, to depict exaggerated therapeutic efficacy . Ultimately clinicians have to give in to a rhetorical mode of persuasion in advertisements than making a decision based on a rational argument
Currently a large number of medical journals are published in the country. Except for a handful of them, others are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and it is understandable considering the colossal sum of money that has to be spent by a professional organization to print a considerable amount of prints. These journals carry a large number of advertisements. Do all these advertisements adhere to ethical criteria? Are they consistent with approved scientific data sheet of the drugs concerned? Are they in contradiction with other sources of similar content? These issues may be a topic for a student looking for a research topic .
Exposing the mechanism of how advertisements change the behaviour of doctors, researchers quote semiologists according to whom we primarily consume not things but the meanings attached to them. On the basis of that drug advertising uses strong imagery to fabricate mythical associations between medical conditions and branded drugs. Armed with such drugs, the clinician believes that they can liberate patients from the oppression of disease and restore them to normality. Advertisement makes its “killing” (an aggressive metaphor for selling) softly. This effective use of mythology in drug promotion has prompted researchers to suggest a need for closer regulation of journals as a privileged channel of communication from the drug industry to clinicians.
Another area which needs focussed attention is the educational and training background of medical representatives. The companies must have passed the skills necessary to increase sales of drugs on to them. However, an interesting aspect is their knowledge on ethical behaviour in drug promotion based on the WHO criteria.The representatives are expected to provide unbiased information for each product discussed with the prescriber. How unbiased can be information provided by an employee of a particular commercial establishment geared to maximise their profits by selling pharmaceuticals? There is a huge question mark hanging over the validity of the results of the clinical trials disseminated by representatives of pharmaceutical companies. Comparison of measures of effect in clinical trials suggest wherever there had been statistically not significant effects, the majority of drug company sponsored trials have demonstrated statistically significant effects. This is very clearly seen in the “ forest plots “ of meta analyses. This leads to a situation where clinicians need to depend on multiple sources of evidences in selecting a drug rather than being confined to information provided by an interested corporate. Toady, the validity of many research findings is also questioned on the basis of the exposure of secret corporate funding behind health research . Academics are now blamed for failing to ask the crucial question when scientist make a scientific claim “ Who is paying you ? rather than the internal and external validity of research findings. Thus it is apparent that not only the corporate sector , highly esteemed professionals too violate their professional ethics. Researchers are only a part in the chain that eat the bait. There are numbers of prescribers who are offered inducements by the drug representatives. WHO criteria clearly state that prescribers and dispensers should not solicit inducements. We have first hand experience in collecting evidence on over promotion of drugs by prescribers and various strategies adopted by them in a study carried out in pharmacies in Gampaha and Polonnaruwa districts. It is our opinion that certain regulations are essential to preserve the rights of the consumers in making his decision although the prescriber acts as the intermediate purchaser of drugs for the patient. Undoubtedly, there could be valid reasons from the prescribers point of view to persist with a particular brand. But this should be evidence based and not anecdotal . Otherwise it is unavoidable to think that such an act as soliciting inducements.
The industry has been accused of medicalising normal phenomena and promoting drugs as solutions to social problems. In direct to consumer advertising, drug companies target advertisements for prescription drugs directly at the public. Some pharmacologists argue that this type of advertising risks medicalising normal human conditions, with the drug companies raking in increasingly healthy profits. New Zealand and United States are the only countries in the world that allow direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs. However, in these countries, consumers need to persuade general practitioners to write a prescription if and when they need to purchase a prescription drug. In Sri Lanka, direct to consumer advertising is relatively uncommon even for schedule I, II A drugs. However, our observations in Gampaha and Polonnaruwa suggest that lay individuals are increasingly becoming familiar with medicines. Among the clients patronising pharmacies, one of the most common methods of ordering drugs was naming the drug. Otherwise, blister pack, used container or labels are produced to the counter to purchase schedule II B drugs without a prescription. Exit interviews revealed that the perceived indications and doses could prove to be harmful to the health of these individuals. This applied not only to prescription drugs but also to schedule I drugs advertised on television channels. Therefore it is timely that basic information such as generic name of the brand with the name, major indication(s), precautions and contraindications and warnings should be displayed in the advertisements to the lay public. In Sri Lankan setting, pharmacists/ pharmacy staff find no time to explain the required information to consumers. Nor do the consumers anticipate waiting for such information. Therefore, as pointed out in the WHO document of ethical criteria, instruction leaflet should carry adequate and relevant information. However, quite often, this information is in English language and manufacturers and importers of medicines should be encouraged to include instructions in Sinhala and Tamil languages for the benefit of lay individuals. Our observations revealed the use of corticosteroids by self medicated consumers without a control for years not knowing the implications of its use. There were many more such examples of abuse of drugs.
It is sad to observe that some unscrupulous elements in the pharmaceutical sector manipulate some of the achievements of the primary health care as a disguised means to promote their products. Immunization is such an example. It has been reported to the Epidemiology unit that sometimes some medical representatives attempt to introduce certain vaccines which are not in the National schedule through local health managers. These attempts violate the ethical criteria of medicines promotion as they are not in line with national requirements while the non availability or non provision of concerned vaccines for the subsequent doses also is a gross violation of ethics and consumer rights.
Public health managers also could learn a lot from drug promoters and advertisers how to change beliefs and behaviour more effectively than by reason alone. Public health managers attempt to initiate certain behavioural changes and inculcate some positive behaviour with the hope of preventing certain health conditions. Iron and Folic acid deficiency in pregnancy and lactation, lack of fibre in diets are two simple examples where drug advertising manipulates consumers need. Relationship between the condition and the remedy are made to seem natural in the advertisements. Every mother’s perception of healthy baby image is focussed intensely to the heart of the consumer and makes the kill. Condition and the product are demonstrated as each other belonging to a sequential order . It is so naturalised at the end, the slightest suspicion will not be aroused in the consumer that it was an intentional promotion.
References
Scott T, Stanford N, Thompson DR. Killing me softly: myth in pharmaceutical advertising BMJ. 2004 December 18; 329(7480): 1484–1487.
Pauline Norris et al, Advertising of medicines on New Zealand television. Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association. 2005;118, Journal of the New Zealand
World Health Organisation. Ethical Criteria for medicinal drug promotion . Geneva:WHO.1988
Wijesinghe P.R. Medication use in the community, Good pharmacy practice and implementation of drug regulation in an urban and rural area in Sri L anka. Thesis submitted to the PGIM for the degree of MD ( Community Medicine)
@ 2006-04-03 – 04:46:43
Cricket has always been one of my attractions. My interest in cricket developed long before Sri lanka achived test status. Arjuna Ranatunga was still not popular. Aravinda was just a little kid playing for DSS. Hashan had just joined DSS from Issipathana. Anura Ranasinghe was our local hero. Bloomfield was star studded with Warnapura,Ajith De Silva,Zabeer Asgarali, Jayantha Senevirathne ...... SSC Bloomfield games always created a short of environment that prevails when PAKS meet archrivals INDOs.
Today cricket is a passion. Everybody in Sri Lanka will be able to be awarded a PHD in Cricket. They are all selectors, technical experts, Pitch experts. In short, they are multiple experts in a single body and soul cage.This is almost the same in neighbouring Pakistan and India.
Whoever who writes cricket in SL, will have to remember the invaluable contribution of Palitha Perera and Epasinghe. They were instrumental in taking cricket to our villages. Will there be any other land where cricket has penetrated into bloood as ours? The answer is yes, in Carribean islands. see the similarities. Before going to that , let me clarify something which has always confused my friends. Windies do not reprsent one country. They are a group of independent countries which send a combined team only in Cricket. In athletics or for that matter in Soccer, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, they compete each other. They are not a homogenous group. Their roots go back to Africa and Northern India. That is the reason why you find closer to our hearts name like Ravi Rampaul, Ramnaresh, Dinesh, Rohan etc among anglicized Vivian, Clive,Robert , Malcom etc.
Cricket is a passion among islanders as we do back home in SL
Cricket is synonymous with music in WI and SL. In SL it is baila rhythems. In Carribean, depends on the island where they play cricket. Jamaica, there goes Reggae, Trinidad- calypso,socca . Indo trinis play Chutney. Chutney is form of music Indian Trinis sing in English with mix of Hindi words. So, if you know Hindi, not to be amazed at hearing peculiar hindi words when you are among crowds in trinidad. I do not know what the trademark music of Bajans or antiguans. I am more familiar with Trini and Guyana to which I am more attached due to presence of our Indo - Carribean relatives.
Sri lankans, despite their long lasting animosities due to the ethnic problem, get along well in a cricket field. Cricket binds all communities together. It was reported on the day of SL victory at Lahore, LTTE cadres were glued to Tv sets and pocket radios. I do not know how far thi is true. But it signifies one phenomenon. CRICKET IS A UNIFIER. It is the same in carribean. Though, there are no inter racial conflicts as such in Trini and Guyana, Racial tension do prevail. It is visible in political divison.But the Joy Clive Lloyd brough to Guyana was not confined to Afro-Guyanese.Muslim, Christian, Hindu east indians took enormous pleasure in seeing clive and his steel made world beaters sending shivers down the spine of other cricketing legends. Technically crafted batsmanship of ROHAN KANHAI, ALVIN KALLICHARAN or unorthodox style of SHIV CHANDEPAUL was applauded by Afro Guyanes and Afro trinis. Did they think for a while that they were different in origin.Criket does what politicians failed. INTEGRATION. Do the people in Sri Lanka think even for a minute that Murali is Tamil, he is of South indian origin. His charming smile will melt thousand rock hard hearts.Unite we stand. Divide we fall. This is the message cricket gives us.
So cricket is similar in Carribean and SL. They play under coconut trees. Come from different races and backgrounds. Falir with which both teams play is similar. Both teams may be lacking it right now. But ther were times in the history, SL in its brief period in the big league and WI in it's golden era played some awesome cricket.
Cricket recently brought another joy to me. I have been long following Monty Pannesar's progress. I was waiting for the moment in which Monty to be awrded test cap. It is no longer a dream. It gives an enormous pleasure for a sikh to see and enjoy the success of a fellow sikh. Welldone , Monty keep it up. Sikh praternity will love to see your presence in the England squad. You have created the history by being the first sikh to play for England. Long before, there will be many more to follow from UK, Kenya. Punjab keep awakning. List is long down to Harbhajan. We are waiting for you.
So cricket is not merly a game. It is a social phenomenon. It has wide angles from bio mechanism to anthroposociology. Cricket opens doors for researchers to creep in with their proposals to do multi dimensional research.
Ranjan-
@ 2006-03-30 – 02:40:37
I think it is my bounden duty to describe how I find solace in Guru's bani. From being a buddhist of modest background how I became a devoted Gurmukh is amazing. It must be the divine wish. Today, I am a very happy professional with a carrear in Epidemiolgy balanced with a spiritual life. I must devote my self to write this story whenever I am free.
Read with interest the article whch appered in Sri lankan Sport regarding the better option for future captaincy. I personally believe that Sangakkara will be the best choice. However, it is not timely to drag this kind of a debate at this important stage of development of these two gems in the crown of Sri Lankan cricket. I am a great fan of Steve Waugh. He is my role model. His sheer determination and delivery of the best in adversity always fancied me. this helped enormously to reach the postgraduate accademic level that I ahve achieved. His phenomenol story was before me when I was down and out. Steves biography and blessed my guru Gobind Singh and Maharaj Ranjit Singh, these are the characters which uplifted me in my adversities. These brave traits are inherent in Sangakkara. As great Arjuna pointed out, time is over for Sri Lankans to be taken for granted. Anglosaxons may want smiliong asians to play cricket. But We also need aussie toughness and confrontation on the field. It is nother matter that you share a beer with opponents off the lawn. Confrontational Sangakkara will be my choice with the graetest respect to mahela, He is once in a life time batsman without achieving his true potential.It reminds me Aravinda de Silva's MAD MAX era where sudden rush of blood prvented him from achiving true potential.Finally, all will be subjective. Selectors will make the choice.As author points out it will more likely to be Mahela. History repeats it self. Fate befallen upon Roy Dias, Aravinda will be on Sangakkara. That was not his fault. Neither it was Mahela's. Country needs both of them. Sri Lanka cricket's future is on them .Whoever he may be, One has to understand the harsh truth " only one can have the crown".Like a true gurusikh, live the life, perform your duties, lead a rightous life and you will feel a satisfied man.
Jo bolay So nihal Sat Sri Akal'
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