Browsing by Author "Liyanage, P."

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Assessment of Local (Domestic) Preference Adaptability in the Public Procurement Process for the Health Sector in Sri Lanka to Promote Local Economic Growth: A Survey-based Study
(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Dinesh, K. L. S.; Liyanage, P.; Wijeyaratne, W. M. D.
In Sri Lanka (SL), public procurement guidelines should be followed by all public institutes, when procuring goods, works, or services. There are multiple guidelines relevant to be followed for this purpose to ensure the value for money of the public procurement process. The Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka has passed a national policy on sustainable consumption and production for Sri Lanka and two sections are allocated for public procurement and Health. According to the policy document, the Ministry of Health should ensure sustainable consumption practices in the health sector to be transformed into green work settings by 2030. Adoption of those green and SPP public procurement would maximize the value of public money while minimizing damage to the environment and maximizing economic, and social benefits to the public health sector in Sri Lanka. The Local preference is applicable for public procurement in Sri Lanka, where applicable. The Domestic preference supports the capacity development of local businesses of the home country, while able retain the public money within the country as it allows preference for local bidders when evaluating bids. The level of adaptability of this concept in the health sector, in Sri Lanka is accessed in this paper based on the survey conducted.
Causes, complications and short-term outcome of acute Kidney injury in a resource-limited setting
(SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research, 2024-12) Herath, N.; De Silva, S.; Liyanage, P.; Kumara, S.; Devi, S.; Abeysekara, V.; Mallawarachi, R.; Perera, S.; Karunathilaka, I.; Samarasinghe, S.; Weerakoon, K.
AIMS The outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) depends on causes, patient factors and care received. We studied the causes, complications and 90-day outcomes of patients with AKI at a tertiary referral centre in Sri Lanka. METHODS Patients aged 18 years or older with AKI referred to nephrology services were analysed retrospectively. AKI severity was assessed using the KDIGO classification. Information was gathered from hospital and clinic records. RESULTS Of the 464 patients studied, 262 (56.5%) were males. The mean age of the study sample was 57.04 (SD 16.85) years. The majority (212-45.69%) were discharged with normal renal functions, 173 (37.28%) were discharged with impaired functions, and 79 (17.03%) died during hospital stay. There were 377 patients at 3 months follow-up; 331 (87.8%) had normalised renal function, 40 (10.6%) had not recovered fully and 6 (1.6%) had succumbed. Progression of AKI to chronic kidney disease or death was significantly high in patients aged > 60 years (p=0.017). More severe AKI was associated with type 2 diabetes (p=0.0042), hypertension (p < 0.0001) and multiple comorbidities (p=0.0014). Persons with no comorbidities had less severe AKI (p=0.0004). Even in the early stages of AKI, there was significantly high mortality (11% in AKI stages 1 and 2) which doubled in stage 3 (22%). Mortality was low in patients with prerenal causes of AKI (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35-0.99 and p=0.047). CONCLUSIONS AKI in elderly and comorbid patients has high morbidity and mortality. Identification of individuals who are at high risk of developing AKI is important for its prevention, early diagnosis and proper treatment. Limitations in infrastructure, manpower, local research, reporting and recording of AKI are key challenges in providing optimal care for AKI in Sri Lanka.
Food consumption and wastage patterns in a student canteen - data from Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Lakshani, U.; Liyanage, P.; Liyanage, B.; Sewwandi, B.; Weerasooriya, T.
Background - Food wastage has become one of the most concerning global issues. While one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted, one-ninth of the world population does not have enough to eat. Hence, the reduction of food wastage and proper waste management is of paramount importance for global sustainability. Objectives - To determine the amount of food consumed and wasted at the faculty canteen during lunchtime; to determine the students’ perceptions of food wastage and make recommendations to avoid food wastage. Method – – A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2019 to December 2019. Plate waste of the students who consumed lunch at the main canteen of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya was measured for six days to determine the percentage of food waste. A questionnaire was given to 200 students to obtain information regarding their reasons for food wastage and the knowledge of food waste management methods at the Faculty of Medicine. Results - Out of 420.48kg of food served during lunchtime of the six days observed, 110.87kg (26.4 %) was wasted. The mean food wastage per student was 139.5g. Among the reasons for food wastage, “poor smell/taste” and “lack of variation of the food” were the main reasons. The majority stated that they would waste less food if the presentation of the food were better. If the results were extrapolated to all state universities, the total waste is 15.96 tons at the cost of 1.368 million rupees per day. Conclusion - - Simple interventions such as making students aware of its economic impact and changing food serving methods may minimize waste.
Gandhara Art: The Problem of Dating
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2002) Liyanage, P.
Oedipus as xenos in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Liyanage, P.
In a period of Athens’ history when outsiders, xenia, mattered greatly to its success, the idea of strangers in a polis was often the subject matter of Greek tragedy. The theme of xenos, the outsider, was dealt with by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.Some consideration has been given in scholarship to the significance of Oedipus in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannusbeing xanos, the outsider. This subject has been studied at some length in comparison with the character of Dionysus in Euripides’ The Bacchae.Although a few studies have considered the significance of Oedipus being a xenos in Thebes at the opening of the play and linked it with the irony of the drama, scholars and commentators have failed to see the drama as Oedipus’ search for himself. The play also opens with the need to search for the killer of Thebes’ former ruler, King Laius. In the course of the play, the search for the killer of Laius changes into a search for the parents of Oedipus. The results of the search helps the outsider to recognise himself to be the outsider-insider of Thebes who, at the very moment of that discovery also realises that he has to re-discover himself to be the insider-outsider on the edict of the gods and as a result of his own verdict as the king of Thebes, declared upon the killer of Laius. The irony of this particular drama is bound up with the discoveries of the self-identities of Oedipus. Oedipus’ search for who he is in the larger scale of life is thesubject matter of this Sophoclean tragedy.This brings the greatest relevance of a Greek drama of 5th century B.C.E. to the modern world especially in a South Asian context in the global village where migration is common and people keep searching for identities between countries and cultures.