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O/L teachers complain to HRCSL about non-vaccination

02 Mar 2021

  • No immediate benefit in vaccination: Health authorities

By Hiranyada Dewasiri and Mihi Perera   The Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) handed over a complaint to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) yesterday (01) stating that the lives of teachers, principals, and other staff members involved in GCE O/L Examination duty have been placed at risk by not vaccinating them against Covid-19. As the GCE O/L Exam began yesterday, the CTSU claimed that the requests made by them and the Department of Examinations Commissioner General Sanath Pujitha, to vaccinate the 46,000 individuals on Exam duty, have been ignored. The complaint also said that the lives of 4.3 million students and their families have been jeopardised by not vaccinating the teachers, principals, and other school staff members. Speaking to The Morning, CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that numerous requests made to Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena to vaccinate the staff performing exam duties had led to no action. “We had to lodge a complaint at the HRCSL because we did not receive any responses for the requests made. Pujitha made a request on 17 February, and the CTSU made a request on 23 February to Dr. Gunawardena, to vaccinate the staff performing exam duties.” The CTSU said that not vaccinating the staff on exam duty against Covid-19 has placed the lives of these staff members, as well as exam candidates and their families, at risk. However, when contacted by The Morning, Pujitha said that he has no knowledge of the complaint made by the CTSU to the HRCSL yesterday. Jayasinghe further said that though Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris stated that teachers would receive priority in the vaccination rollout, no such action has been taken yet. When inquired by The Morning on 28 February regarding the request, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said that vaccinating those on rxam duty immediately provides no special protection, as it requires a period of about four weeks after vaccination in order for sufficient protection to develop. “The first dose of the vaccine takes at least a period of four weeks from the date of vaccination to become effective. Our country’s vaccination drive began in early February, so when the exam started yesterday, there was no time for sufficient protection to develop. Vaccination does not give the vaccinated any immediate special protection.” However, Dr. Herath said that vaccinating all teachers is important and ideal. Responding to this, Jayasinghe said that the requests to vaccinate the staff on exam duty were made in advance, and that authorities should have paid attention to prioritising this staff, as the decision to schedule the exam to commence yesterday, had been made beforehand. “Pujitha made a request to vaccinate staff on Exam duty on 17 February. This exam was not sudden, it was pre-planned; the risk should have been identified beforehand, and the vaccinations should have been administered to them in prior.” Meanwhile, when inquired about the ongoing examination, the CTSU also alleged that teachers have faced issues in accessing the provided transport, and that sufficient safety equipment and sanitising facilities have not been provided to exam centres. “Though it was said that special transportation facilities have been arranged, teachers have had to use three-wheelers. Only six litres of hand sanitiser have been provided for exam centres with about 150-200 students and this was not sufficient. Instead of surgical gloves, some centres have been given reusable cloth gloves, and only one face shield has been provided to each centre.” However, Pujitha denied the claim that sufficient sanitising facilities have not been provided. “Sufficient sanitising liquid and soap have been provided to all exam centres. Face shields have been provided for those on duty in the special Exam centres for candidates with Covid-19.” The GCE O/L examination that began yesterday will go on until 11 March in 4,513 centres for 622,352 candidates. A total of 750 “Sisu Seriya” buses have been deployed to provide transport for staff and candidates during the entire Examination period. Also, 38 Covid-19 positive candidates are reported to have sat for their exam yesterday, whereas the exam has reported no absentees.

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