Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has ordered the immediate transfer of the Welikada Prison Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. N. Thenuwara over charges of ‘preferential treatment’ to certain prisoners.

Reports say the marching orders came from the Health Minister after 19 other Medical Officers attached to the Welikada Prison aired their grievances to the Minister.

Late last week, in a bid to stem the same issue, Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D. M. Swaminathan decreed that the approval of a minimum of 3 Medical Officers was necessary to transfer a prisoner to the Prison Hospital.

These moves come in the wake of former President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Anusha Palpita being transferred to the Prison Hospital a day after they were sentenced to 3-years Rigorous Imprisonment in the ‘sil redi’ distribution case.