Jab tussle: Army denies GMOA allegations

The Army yesterday denied allegations made by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) last week that the security forces continued to interfere with the anti-COVID-19 activities carried out by health officials in the Eastern Province.

The Army said on 01 July, the GMOA claimed that it representatives from the East had informed that security forces were meddling with the vaccination programme as well. Although the GMOA wrote to the Secretary to the Ministry of Health, and copied the letter to the Minister of Health and several other agencies, it did not forward a copy to the Army.

“Neither General Shavendra Silva, Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), nor the Director, Preventive Medicine in the Army, who maintains close coordination with Health authorities, since the beginning of the country-wide vaccination project, received a copy of the letter,” the Army said.

The Army began its engagement with the vaccination process when it inoculated security forces personnel carrying out anti-COVID-19 activities, on 28 January 2021. Later, the army made available its medical specialists, medical officers, nursing and paramedical staff for the vaccination process countrywide, the army said.

“Recently, on the advice of the President, the security forces were asked to take charge of inoculating apparel industry employees countrywide. Accordingly, Security Forces began vaccination of garment workers on Poson Poya day (24 June). About 59,898 garment workers in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Seethawaka, Koggala, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Katunayake and Wathupitiwela areas were vaccinated within 48 hours,” the Army said.

For this task, the Army had been given 60,000 phials of the vaccine by the Epidemiology Unit at the Health Ministry. Before inoculation of apparel sector employees, medical teams of the Security Forces, including respective Division/Brigade Commanders initiated planning discussions with respective Regional Directors of Health Services (RDHS).  This is the officer who is responsible for Regional Epidemiologists, Medical Officers of Health, PHIs, et al.

“This was done when we carried out the vaccination campaign in the East too,” the Army said.

The Army denied GMOA allegations that around 10% of those who received the jab there had reported vaccine-related adverse effects. If some post vaccination  complications had developed among a limited number of garment employees, it could have been due to multiple reasons.  The GMOA however had alleged that this was due to errors made by security forces, without any evidence, the Army said.

The Army added that it was unfair to allege that the security forces had intervened in the affairs of medical staff and that these allegations are possibly made due to vested interests.