• Medical experts will be distressed if they are not allowed to carry out their duties

By Yohan Perera   

The involvement of politicians in activities pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic will cause distress to heath authorities and it will in turn affect the disease control programme, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said yesterday.    

 Mr. Range Bandara who made a special statement on the pandemic situation referred to a few incidents including the attempt made by Moratuwa Mayor to influence the medical personnel to provide COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with criteria stipulated by him.   

“We saw a politician getting the isolation of Piliyandala lifted, then we saw a politician in Kurunegala District stating how the vaccines should be provided in the district. Then we saw the Moratuwa Mayor order the medical personnel in the area that vaccines should be given to those who bring a chit from him. Politicians should not get involved in COVID control and prevention programmes. The programmes will go off the track if such a thing happens. Medical experts will get distressed if they are not allowed to carry out their duties. The entire COVID prevention and control programme will fall in such a situation,”
 he said.