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‘Even Ranil got vaccine from Army’

09 Aug 2021

  • Army Commander responds to Ranil’s criticism
  • Notes presence of health authorities in task force
BY Pamodi Waravita Responding to criticism of United National Party (UNP) Leader and parliamentarian Ranil Wickremesinghe, National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Head and Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva said that even Wickremesinghe received his vaccination from the Narahenpita Army Hospital. “The public is extremely appreciative of the tri-forces-led vaccination drive. Only one person is condemning it. The public must know that he also got his vaccination from the Army Hospital in Narahenpita. If he got his vaccine from the Army Hospital but is telling that it is wrong for the public to get their vaccination from Army-run centres, then the public must make a decision about that,” Gen. Silva said. On Sunday (8), Wickremesinghe alleged that the NOCPCO Task Force is responsible for the increasing Covid-19-related deaths in the country. The Army Commander further said that the task force makes consultative decisions, as Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid-19 Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, and Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena are also part of it. Wickremesinghe accused the NOCPCO of having failed to control the pandemic, despite a clear opportunity to do so since August 2020, and called on the Government to dissolve it and appoint a committee of health experts to face the prevailing situation. “The responsibility for the control of the Covid-19 pandemic now lies with the NOCPCO, which has no capacity to deal with it. So far, they have failed to develop a successful programme to control the pandemic. The power to take necessary decisions in a situation like this is vested with the Cabinet of Ministers in accordance with the Constitution. Therefore, it is not possible to give such powers to a body like the NOCPCO,” Wickremesinghe said. Wickremesinghe further said the Government had ignored all medical experts’ views on the steps to be taken in the wake of the rapid spread of the pandemic. Claiming that medical experts have requested that a lockdown be imposed in light of the current situation, Wickremesinghe demanded that the Government inform the public immediately as to why the Government has not complied with these requests. Sri Lanka is currently facing a severe spread of the highly transmissible Indian Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of Covid-19. As of 8 August, a total of 2,956 new cases and 94 deaths were reported due to the virus.


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