A bouquet to President and head of Covid-19 Task Force

All Sri Lankans must be invariably indebted to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Army Commander, Gen Shavendra Silva and all other service personnel who devoted their time with much dedication, to save the lives of Sri Lankans, in controlling the transmission of the deadly Covid-19 virus.

Even though the pandemic is not over yet, the enthusiasm expressed by no less a person than the Director General of the WHO over the speedy manner in which the required vaccination drive was accelerated by Sri Lanka under the leadership of the President, is a clear manifestation of the President’s dedication to protect the people. This remarkable feat has been achieved by the government at a time when the power-hungry extremist politicians, backed by the misguided school principals and teachers, in the education sector, relentlessly engaging in protest rallies all over the country.

While the Health authorities repeatedly warned them of a possible formation of deadly clusters of the pandemic, through close human contacts, it is a matter for regret that these misguided elements organised protest marches in order to achieve their political goals by exposing their members to this deadly disease.

Although the Health authorities repeatedly warned the public, by displaying the statistical information of patients in hospitals and the inadequacy of bed-capacities and dearth of other essential paraphernalia, it appears that the misguided trade union leaders, living in cloud cuckoo land were taking their members for asses at this juncture.

The public could well remember that at the beginning of the formation of the Presidential Task Force to combat the Coronavirus, by the President, under the commander of the Army, those power-hungry politicians came out with the jargon that the President is planning to convert the entire country into an Army-controlled nation, like Myanmar.

The people of Sri Lanka never expected political leaders to behave in that manner, making the poor people of the country at a death risk in a situation like this.

It is rather unfortunate that even some foreign envoys made irresponsible statements at that time to criticise the administration of the President. They must be ashamed now to note the great humanitarian services rendered by the service personnel nowadays to vaccinate the people of the country by working round the clock, breaking all records of the health sector people.

Even the Human Rights Commission of the UN brought a resolution against Sri Lanka, a few months ago, to impose trade sanctions to Sri Lanka. But, it is a pity that they did not take any action against the British hooligans who brutally attacked innocent Italian football fans who came to Wembley to witness their country winning the recently concluded European Football Cup, after 53 years.

It would be grossly unfair, on my part, if I do not place on record my appreciation of Prof. Channa Jayasumana, the State Minister of Health whose silent, yet formidable role, to vaccinate all adults, and even schoolchildren, of Sri Lanka, to protect them from the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the fact that the government is saddled with enormous financial constraints.

Keerthi Tillekeratne,

Kohuwela