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Health sector slams wide-open lockdown

26 Aug 2021

  • Lab techs, PHIs demand stricter rules
  • Nurses bemoan transport costs
  • Decision on extension today 
BY Dinitha Rathnayake Several health sector stakeholders, including government medical laboratory technicians, nurses, and public health inspectors (PHIs), have criticised the ongoing lockdown, officially referred to as a quarantine curfew, as being wholly ineffective owing to the lack of strict travel restrictions.  The Government is scheduled to announce today (27) its decision on whether or not the Covid-19 quarantine curfew is to be extended beyond 30 August.  Speaking to The Morning, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President Ravi Kumudesh said that this surprise lockdown imposed on 20 August has done nothing but make people come outdoors.  “There is a need for trend analysis and to learn how this virus spread among the society and islandwide. Without doing an analysis, there is no reason to have another lockdown. The lockdown needs to be scientific. The purpose of a lockdown is to prevent people from coming into contact with Covid-19 patients, but most pandemic hotspots are open. Garment factories and construction sites, where a large number of cases are found, are operational. There are many people on the roads as well,” he noted.  He also added that the current data provided by the Ministry of Health are not accurate and that therefore, there is a need for sharper data analysis.  Kumudesh also expressed concern about those employed in the garment and textiles industry since there are no proper precautions taken to prevent Covid-19 spreading amongst them.  “We ask the Government to provide us with a bus and we as lab technicians are then voluntarily willing to have Covid-19 screenings inside these premises so that we can decide whom to quarantine and who can proceed to work.”  The Government could have handled the situation so much better if it had consulted all stakeholders, but unfortunately, the Government responded to the crisis arrogantly, Kumudesh claimed. He added that the Government cannot achieve the desired results by declaring lockdowns unless a cohesive action plan is put in place to contain the fast spread of Covid-19.  PHIs’ Union Secretary Mahendra Balasooriya, also speaking to The Morning, said there is no use of having a lockdown without restrictions.  “Most of the people are on the roads and streets at the moment and some shops are also being opened without responding to the current lockdown.”  The Government imposed a lockdown due to pressure from health experts, trade unionists, the clergy, and members of the Government and Opposition; however, “the Government perhaps wants to show us that lockdowns are not effective”, he opined.  Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) President Saman Rathnapriya stressed that the Government needs a proper scientific solution for the pandemic.  “There are health sector workers who have to spend a lot on transport. Suwa Wiruwos (health heroes) have to spend their entire salary to get transport,” he alleged.  He added that around 250 nursing officers are suffering from Covid-19 at the moment, and therefore, urged the Government to have a proper solution to save the lives of people who work in the health sector.  Attempts to contact the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) to learn their thoughts on whether or not the present lockdown should be extended, were futile. However, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) said that they would comment on the matter after the announcement of the Government’s decision today.


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