With media reports claiming, based on a recent check-up, that a majority of employees, including drivers attached to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), are at high risk for hypertension, the SLTB stated that it is very concerned about the health of its employees, especially the drivers, as it directly affects the passengers' security.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (30), the SLTB Chairperson S.M.D.L.K.D. Alwis said that if any employee is reported with any health-related problems, he or she would be referred to the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI) for necessary treatments. He said that the employees have been informed to notify the depot managers or any other related officer if they have any health related issues in order to obtain treatments. When queried as to whether there is a system within the SLTB to check the health conditions of its employees, Alwis noted that there is no system for regular check-ups, and that they will only be directed to treatments if they are identified by the officers or if they notify the relevant officers.
“We ask our employees to inform the immediate officers if they have health issues. Accordingly, we will direct them to the NTMI for treatment. Otherwise, we don’t have a system to take them for regular check-ups,” he added.
He made these remarks in light of a recent health check-up that was reportedly conducted by the Kuliyapitiya Medical Officer of Health Office. Media reports that revealed the outcomes of the said check-up reported that SLTB employees, including drivers at the Kuliyapitiya bus stand, were at high risk for hypertension. Quoting those health officials, the media reported that all SLTB employees who underwent the check-up were found to be suffering from high blood pressure, thus putting them at risk for cardiac ailments.
A significant number of studies conducted by domestic and international health organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have shown that the physical condition of the drivers is directly associated with road safety, noting that ailments such as eye disease, excessive fatigue, and other health-related issues play a major role in road accidents.