The United National Party today stated that the closure of the government hospital in Baduraliya, a rural village in the Kalutara District, is a great example of the current state of the country’s public administration.

UNP Parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera stated that it has been 6 days since the hospital, which has served thousands of innocent patients in the area, was closed down, due to a disagreement between the hospital staff and the residents in the area.

He questioned whether a police station can be closed down just because someone scolded the police, a school closed because the principal was scolded or a prison because the guards were scolded.

Closing down the Baduraliya Hospital, which provides immediate necessary treatment for innocent villagers, for a day or even for an hour is putting the lives of all those people in danger, he said.

Perera stated that creating the necessary environment to reopen the hospital, by providing adequate security for its doctors, is the responsibility of the Western Provincial Council, which controls the hospital.   

“That responsibility cannot be transferred to the Government Medical Officers’ Association. They are only a trade union,” the Kalutara District MP said, addressing a press conference today.

Therefore it is the responsibility of the government to take immediate measures to reopen the hospital, he said.

He stated that hospital is not closed down even during a war or in an area where the war is taking place and added that even when doctors are on strike the immanency services are still provided. “That is an accepted tradition.”

However, completely closing down a hospital, especially due to a comparatively small issue such as this, shows us the inefficiency of public administration and the grave issues affecting the country’s good governance, he said.

The Parliamentarian also opposed the government’s recent decision to suspend the Grade 5 Scholarship examination from the year 2016, terming it as an “extremely backwards” decision regarding education in the country.

He stated that parents consider the Grade 5 Scholarship exam as a highly important juncture in the future of their children.

Perera conceded that the exam has caused pressure on students and that it has gone to the point where students have been deprived of their beautiful childhood. “Definitely a change should be made,” he stressed. 

However, that change should be made after all other relevant issues are resolved, he pointed out.

He stated instead establishing the facilities and prestige of popular National Schools in rural schools, the government has decided to rob the innocent children in villages of their opportunity to enter a major school in the country.