Vaccine Programme to Cover Most Wanted & Vulnerable Districts Soon- Head, NOCPCO

"The COVID-19 vaccination project is to be expanded covering more vulnerable regions/districts with high numbers of infectees after identifying the most sensitive and wanted areas as more and more vaccine stocks are set to arrive in the country. HE the President has been assured a stock of 500,000 more vaccines as a donation after the Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka had a meeting with the President. The inoculation of Sputnik jabs is to be completed by tomorrow and the injection of Cinnopharm vaccine was finished by yesterday," so remarked General Shavendra Silva, Head, NOCPCO, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army attending one more NOCPCO Task Force meeting on Wednesday (20).

Hon Minister of Health, Mrs Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Dr Asela Gunawardene, Director General of Health Services and General Shavendra Silva jointly presided the session at Rajagiriya NOCPCO.

Summing up the status quo, he thanked all health workers, members of armed forces, Policemen and all stakeholders for their immense and invaluable contribution to the national need for control of the deadly virus at this critical hour of our history and mentioned that three types of Isolations of GN Divisions/Police Divisions are now implemented with imposition of travel and movement restrictions. He also told the attendees about consequences of such restrictions as well as public responses to those gestures.

Explaining proposed travel restrictions to be effected on 21 May 2021 at 11. 00 pm and continues until 25 May at 4.00 am and impose of isolation again during 11 pm 25 May up to 4.00am 28 May 2021. He also briefed about the progress of isolation practices and removal of such isolations in the country whilst monitoring this situation closely.

He also lamented on reports in circulation which produce wrong interpretations of certain interested parties about 'home-confined' quarantine procedures. "We adopt three steps once positive cases are reported since the Medical Officer in charge of the area would discuss with the patient and decide if its symptoms whether to be treated in hospitals or otherwise. They will be sent to the hospitals for treatment."

"We have Army doctors and attached them also to the treatment process with our ambulances. It is to be used as a pilot project in Kalutara tomorrow, and after 3 days we will review its progress. This practice is meant to cut down time periods for carriage of infected ones to the nearest hospital or the ICC.

DG Health Services and other stakeholders also voiced their opinions during the session, paying attention to developments with the onset of monsoon rains.

Source: www.army.lk