By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody
Professionals must work together for disaster preparedness and mitigation, especially in the case of manmade disasters such as the 21 April Easter Sunday attacks and in the aftermath of such, noted Director to the President, Dr. Samantha Kumara Kithalawaarachchi.
Speaking to Ceylon Today, Dr. Kithalawaarachchi who is also the Director of the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention, noted that programmes would be commenced at the District level on how psychology and the mass media can be used for the purpose. The programmes in the form of workshops on shared experiences of disasters and psychological consequences, the media including social media, suicidal terrorists, post-disaster situations, drug addiction, and ethics, would be organised by the Presidential Secretariat, the Institute for Research and Development, Professor of Psychiatry at the Keele University, Athula Sumathipala, the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists, the Disaster Management Centre, and the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.
In a press release issued in this regard for a workshop for media personnel, it was noted that the said attack has created fear, doubt and suspicion, hatred, thoughts of vengeance, uncertainty and insecurity, exemplified by the fact that parents are reluctant to send their children to school.