Tough questions deserving early anwers

We are happy to carry today an open letter to the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardene, by an eminent group of academics, professionals and civil society activists. This deals with many questions agitating the minds of ordinary people on the roll out of the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination program of the government. They have raised many matters of concern to everybody – how efficiently and fairly is the program is being carried out and also why, as is too often the case in our country, politicians have been allowed to muscle their way into the process to help their friends and supporters to the detriment of the majority. Also favours have been done to the rich, powerful and influential, something that is not uncommon in this country of ours for as long as anybody can remember.

The questions fired are undoubtedly tough and whether Dr. Gunawardene personally, the Health Department, Ministry or the Government itself will quickly respond to them remains to be seen. Indisputably the pandemic has presented this country as well as the wider world with challenges unprecedented in living memory. Some countries have dealt with them better than others and in this era of instant communication, people everywhere have been able to inform themselves of how well or badly the world is handling the pandemic. Initially this country did quite well dealing with the problem and, as is too often our wont, boasted about our achievement. No doubt the existence of a long established public health system countrywide helped us. Also our front line health workers and others contributed much. But it was not long before much more than the proverbial spot of dung polluted the pot of milk and we are today reaping the consequences of many acts of omission and commission.

The various television news bulletins that reach most homes in this country every day have shown us wild scenes of disorder at various vaccination centers as this long running Covid drama continues. Some of the episodes we have seen, such as policemen clad in PPE (personal protective equipment) physically carrying/dragging non-mask wearers and travel restriction offenders to buses to haul them off to police stations, are ridiculous by any standard. These people were not resisting arrest. Whether the police were playing to television cameras we do not know. But it looked to those viewing the pictures that the victims would have willingly walked into the buses if they were directed to do so. Maybe those concerned wanted to convey the message that those defying health guidelines and other restrictions will be roughly handled.

There is no escaping the fact that a large segment of the population defied the various restrictions and guidelines imposed fueling the flames of increased infection. The entire country is paying the price for that. Our politicians too did what was best for themselves regardless of consequences for the country as a whole. That began with holding the last election, easing restrictions during the New Year holiday period against good advice from experts ostensibly to gather some cheap popularity by not killing the holiday spirit for two years in a row. Undoubtedly special interest lobbies would have influenced this decision. More recently, Covid control considerations were subordinated to securing the passage on the Port City legislation. Nobody will or can dispute that the government is walking a tightrope balancing the health and economic interests of the people. We all know that a substantial section of our population, notably daily wage earners, are in a tight bind with current restrictions preventing them from eking out their precarious livings. There has been some government (read taxpayer) funded assistance and more has been promised, but financial as well as administrative constraints have affected efficient delivery. As in the case or Samurdhi, many undeserving families not entitled to the benefit collect while those in genuine need are left out in the cold.

Since the first phase of the vaccination process began over a year ago, there have been repeated assurances from authorities including the Army Commander in his capacity of Head of the Covid Task Force, senior health officials and the Minister and State Ministers responsible that adequate vaccines are being procured and there was no reason to fear shortages. It must be said in fairness that the explosion of infections and deaths in India, affected contracted supplies of vaccines manufactured there. But there appears to have been complacency that the problem will sort itself out and delivered stocks physically available here were not properly managed. The whole country was privy to ugly scenes such as that of the Moratuwa Mayor’s odious attempt to intimidate a woman Medical Officer of Health (MOH) in charge of a vaccination center to give preferences to bearers of tokens issued by himself while ordinary people languished in long queues. The police looked on as the doctor courageously held her ground while the loud mouthed politician dropped the name of a powerful politician who he alleged was doing likewise to claim parity for himself. He was eventually arrested and placed in remand though not paraded in handcuffs before television cameras unlike many others produced in court.

Undoubtedly the authors of the statement including respected personalities like Prof. Savitri Goonesekera and many more depended on material in the public domain to fire their battery of tough questions. These deserve answers and hopefully they will be forthcoming sooner rather than later. Admittedly the health sector is facing a massive challenge to which it has responded magnificently. The always vocal GMOA which aligned itself politically at recent elections has a lot of egg on its face having been unable to explain away some of its actions, notably arrangements for its members and their families to jump the vaccination queue. Undoubtedly they as medical officers deserve some preference. So do nurses and many others now demanding parity. But kissing goes by favour.