Kumudesh claims govt. abuses health guidelines to achieve political ends

by Rathindra Kuruwita

People had lost faith in health guidelines and quarantine laws because the government continued to abuse them for political reasons, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday.

People saw health guidelines and quarantine laws as political tools and therefore they were increasingly suspicious of what health officials were saying, Kumudesh said.

“This is a serious obstacle to COVID prevention activities. People think these are political tools. This is already having disastrous consequences,” he said.

The CMLS President added that the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) issued directives banning public gatherings when there were protests and demonstrations against the government. The actions of senior health officials was tainting the entire health sector, he said.

“People will not adhere to health guidelines and quarantine laws if they think they are tools of oppression. They will resist them in any way they can. Health officials always complain that people do not follow health guidelines. These officials must then stop being political tools,” Kumudesh said.

The DGHS should understand the social and political context when he issued guidelines, he said. It seems like political authorities were applying pressure on the DGHS, Kumudesh said.

“The same health officials are not doing anything to curb the spread of COVID-19. They are not conducting PCR tests to determine what is going on. They are not deploying mobile rapid PCR vehicles. Nothing is done to popularize good health practices. Everyone sees this and they are peeved when they see the Ministry issuing a new set of health guidelines banning gatherings a day before a large public protest,” he said.