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Ranil urges Cabinet to handle Covid, not Task Force

06 Aug 2021

  • Warns of India-like catastrophe if Cabinet doesn’t wrest control
BY Buddhika Samaraweera  United National Party (UNP) Leader and Parliamentarian Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on the Government to take decisions to control the pandemic through the mechanism of the Cabinet of Ministers, instead of relying on the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Task Force. His comments in Parliament yesterday (5) followed the Karapitiya, Ragama, Kalubowila, and Ratnapura Teaching Hospitals officially running out of capacity for Covid-19 patients, with many Covid-19 patients seen seated or lying on the hospital floors on mats with no beds being available for them at these hospitals. At least two of these hospitals have declared a “State of Emergency”. Recalling a recent statement made by a Health Ministry official that there would be nothing to do but wait in case of a rapid spread of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka as was the case in India, Wickremesinghe noted that there would be no other option but to just wait if decision-making with regard to the control of the Covid-19 pandemic is not taken up by the Cabinet of Ministers. Wickremesinghe added that the Government should take steps to procure what is needed to control the pandemic without resorting to lengthy procurement processes and procedures. He stressed that without it, it would take a considerable amount of time to make purchases following the procurement process, which could eventually place patients at risk. He also suggested that temporary treatment centres be built with the support of the Army and engineering companies, in order to overcome the issue of the capacity of hospitals reaching their limit. “The pandemic is now widespread. We must control this as soon as possible. So do not go for the procurement process. Buy what you can from wherever possible and we will support it,” he said. Due to the increase in Covid-19 patients, 81 of the total of 146 (roughly 55%) intensive care unit (ICU) beds earmarked for Covid-19 patients, are currently occupied, Health Ministry Communications Director and the Public Health Services Deputy Director General Dr. Hemantha Herath told The Morning on 3 August. Attempts to contact Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, and Dr. Herath to inquire about the plans to cope with the situation which has arisen currently, proved futile.  


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