The government launched the vaccination a few months ago as a measure to control the Covid 19 virus. Today, the vaccination program is being implemented more widely in the Western Province, but it is now being seen that the vaccination is being carried out in a manner that does not heed the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
Sri Lanka has made minimal progress in vaccinating against the Covid 19 virus. According to the global immunization statistics provided by the New York Times, some countries in the world have passed the full vaccination, ie both dosage doses, and most of those countries have passed the 40% limit. But in Sri Lanka the percentage is 1.4%. Although most countries in the world are close to the 50% limit in single dose doses, the percentage in Sri Lanka is 6.5%. (For report – https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html)
A news item published on social media this morning stated that the Ministry of Health will launch an injection program for the relatives of government doctors at the request of the Government Medical Officers’ Association. A part of a report submitted to the government by the Government Medical Officers’ Association in this regard is also circulating on social media. The Government Nurses’ Association has strongly objected to this attempt and informed the Minister of Health that if such a situation arises they will resort to a trade union action. They also say that this act, which is being carried out without regard to the entire health workers, is unjust and unethical. While granting privileges that other fellow health care workers do not have is indeed an unethical act, we must not forget that such unethical actions were endlessly reported in this vaccination program.
We are of the view that the entire vaccination program of the government is unethical and unethical as aristocracy emerges. The government first introduced the Kovshield vaccine, where the first guideline on the vaccine issued by the Epidemiology Survey stated that the target group of the vaccine was 1. All public and private health staff. Staff (Security, Police, etc.) 3. Kovid 19 are airport and port select staff, who are directly involved in the entry of migrants into the country. (https://www.epid.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/Circulars/Corona_virus/covishield_immunization_guideline.pdf)
However, it is unfortunate that the government has so far failed to fully vaccinate all members of these groups. Prior to the completion of this target group vaccination, the government initiated the second phase of the program, which did not specify the target group in the guidelines issued, but stated that the Ministry of Health had informed it. The target group will be named by the Ministry of Health.
(https://www.epid.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/Circulars/Corona_virus/Covishield_vaccine_campaign_2_amd.pdf, https://www.epid.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/Circulars/Corut_ir % 20vaccine% 20_Guidelines_final_06_05_2021.pdf, https://www.epid.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/Circulars/Corona_virus/Sinopharm%20vaccine%20_Guidelines_08_05_2021.pd)
Therefore, the vaccination program did not have a specific target group. However, in the second phase of Covshield, the Ministry of Health stated that it would be given to people over 60 years of age. But after a short day, that changed, and Covshield Enant began to be distributed indiscriminately to people under the age of 60. In particular, there was no definite plan to vaccinate the most vulnerable people, and the vaccine was given to employees in government economic hubs. In addition to health staff, government officials were also vaccinated. At the Sputnik and Cyanoform vaccination, the Ministry of Health stated that it would be given to a population of 30-60.
Even now the government has not been able to vaccinate all public and private health workers in Sri Lanka and their close relatives. Also, the government has not been able to provide this fully to all at risk, not to all citizens over 60 years of age. This is due to the unplanned vaccination programs launched by the government and the involvement of political affiliation and bureaucracy in that vaccination.
Many countries around the world have adopted this method of vaccination in order of priority. In most countries, all health personnel have been vaccinated. They have also vaccinated their close associates. Many countries have also vaccinated high-risk patients. The Prime Minister of Canada did not vaccinate until he had the opportunity to vaccinate his age group, setting an example.
From the time the Kovichield vaccine was administered in Sri Lanka, various professional groups used the vaccine to obtain the vaccine. They got the opportunity to do so because there was room for that in the government’s vaccination program. Although all people in the country should be vaccinated, due to the limited resources available, the government should have made vaccination a priority in this case. But it is tragic that vaccination calls for aristocracy, bureaucracy, and politics. Breaking all priorities, Covid vaccinated some professionals, including lawyers. Even low-risk government officials were vaccinated on the grounds that they were government officials. In some vaccination queues, media reports have shown that giving priority to government officials can lead to unrest. The vaccination of journalists, especially at the Jayewardenepura Hospital, was based on the media identity card. In addition, there were reports of political interference in some vaccination centers and injection of documents submitted by politicians. The vaccination cheat of Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal was very famous.
It is a pity that there is no such thing as a hegemonic and unplanned approach to vaccination against the global epidemic Kovid 19, which has never happened in Sri Lanka. Despite the rapid spread of Coward 19 today, the government has no plans to bring this vaccine to the mainland and provide this vaccine in order of priority. We should not be surprised that the Government Medical Officers’ Association, which should guide the government in this regard and also talks about the standard of health, today submits a list of them to the Minister. It is common for the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), which represents an elite group in Sri Lanka, to submit its lists, as the vaccination program is based on a list system that prioritizes the elite. Private health personnel have not yet fully vaccinated. Private and Transport Board Driving Conductors who directly contribute to transportation have not been vaccinated. The government does not even have a program to vaccinate shop employees including supermarkets. The government has no plans to vaccinate innocent people who are constantly in conflict with the society. The queuing elites who need this vaccine should also know that you alone cannot protect yourself and escape this catastrophe. We have to tell the government, which has come up with such beautiful terms as database development, to at least put an end to the hegemony and politics of these vaccination programs and come up with a credible transparency program that will make people believe that they too will get the vaccine.