24 May 2021 12:00 am Views - 147
By Yohan Perera
Calling on the government not to sacrifice people’s lives by focusing on the economy, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday there is a need to rethink anew on how to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to formulate a vaccine programme.
Making a special statement yesterday, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the people of this country need around 30 million COVID-19 vaccines. It is difficult to bring down that number of vaccines this year.
“There is a need to think anew and formulate a new programme for the COVID pandemic. People who have received the first dose of AstraZeneca should be given the second dose. The government must ensure that the vaccines necessary for these people are purchased. The government and other sectors are trying to bring in the required number of vaccines. Although the government continues to administer vaccines, not all citizens will be able to receive their vaccinations this year. Therefore, the first thing to do is to seek medical advice on how they can control the further spread of the virus. Do not sacrifice people’s lives by focusing on the economy. The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated because the Central Bank printed money,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.
“If US $200 million had been invested in the vaccine last November, there would not have been a vaccination shortage in the country. The virus spread further as Indian tourists were brought to the country by a Government concerned only on increasing our foreign exchange. Today we see that the anti-COVID efforts cannot be coordinated by the existing committees. If we must close the country, close the country and give relief to the people who need it,” he added.
“The President and the Cabinet should exercise the powers vested in them by the Constitution and make necessary plans to control the spread of the disease. Do not sideline the cabinet. They must take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of the country” he also said.