GMOA raises alarm over COVID-19 deaths increasing rapidly

By Rathindra Kuruwita

As three COVID-19 persons died yesterday (27) while undergoing treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) and the National hospital, Colombo the Government Medical Officers’ Association warned that the number of deaths would increase rapidly if the government didn’t take immediate action.

The 17th COVID-19 related death was that of a 41-year-old resident of Ja-Ela, who was also undergoing treatment for cirrhosis. He died at the IDH.

The other two, an 87-year-old woman from Slave Island and a 19-year-old person from Keselwatte passed away while undergoing treatment at the National Hospital. The woman had been admitted to the hospital for a leg injury. PCR tests conducted following their deaths proved that they were COVID0-19 positive.

GMOA’s Dr. Haritha Aluthge told The Island that they had warned of an increase in the number of COVID-19 related deaths for some time. The inputs of health sector experts had not given the attention they deserved, he said.

“On Monday, we warned that it was a complex situation and we are in front of a serious crisis. We are detecting COVID-19 positive cases by the hundreds now each day and people do not believe that we have not reached the community spread level. With these deaths people will panic more.”

Hospitals were being overwhelmed and the deaths would rise exponentially if the current trend continued, he said. “If we don’t make a course correction, we can expect a large number of deaths in the next two months. We have identified five districts at risk; they are Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Kegalle and Kurunegala; some other districts are also at risk. We have proposed that the borders of these five districts be secured. We have also told this to the Presidential Task Force.”

On Monday, Head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama warned that if the situation was not brought under control urgently, the people who were prone to complications with pre-existing conditions would be in danger.

“This is what we saw on Tuesday. Those who died either had a pre-existing condition or were old. We have a lot of people with non-communicable diseases in this country. That is why health professionals have been urging those in power to take steps to curb NCDs.”