UNP demands explanation for failure to lock down country

By Piyasena Dissanayake

The UNP demanded to know from the government yesterday on what grounds that it could justify its decision to keep the country open while hundreds of people die daily from the COVID-19 virus.

UNP Chairman and former Minister Wajira Abyewardena addressing a press conference at the Galle District UNP office yesterday (15) said that none would be able to comprehend the rationale behind the government’s decision to not going for a countrywide lockdown against the calls by doctors, PHIs and WHO experts.

“The government is adamant. It has no intention of listening to anyone. When the coronavirus was first found in this country last year, our leader Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed a comprehensive set of guidelines but the government did not listen to him. Thereafter all medical experts, health authorities and even virologists presented their proposals which were similar to the suggestions made by the UNP leader. Yet, the government did not pay heed to any of those calls. Even now when the crisis had reached the level where people die in their hundreds, the government does not care. When the senior health officials warn of possible crisis this government would transfer them out. Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva was one of the senior most experts. He is a specialist doctor with 34 years of experience in the health service and years of experience in epidemics and disease control. He was transferred out when he was raising concerns of the possible dangers of the pandemic. He was sent to a place to look after cattle. Dr. Anil Jasinghe and Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara proved their competence in handling the crisis during the first wave of the pandemic where Sri Lanka was among the top countries in responding to the virus. They were transferred out. Dr. Paba Palihawadana is one of the senior most Epidemiologists in the country. She had been harassed so she joined the WHO. Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera too was chased out. Prof. Asitha Perera was forced to resign. Dr. Palitha Abeykoon was removed. Now without these experts and people of their calibre, the government COVID Task Force can even meet in a roadside boutique and make the decisions that they want.

“This is a serious situation and people are paying with their lives for the idiocies of the government. We demand the government to tell the nation its rationale behind keeping the country open contrary to the warnings by the health experts and doctors. What right it has to let people die in this manner? What scientific knowledge the persons who made this decision have,” the UNP Chairman queried.

Galle Municipal Council Opposition Leader Dilith Nishantha also addressed the press.