Media reported yesterday (30) Secretary to the President P B Jayasundera has called on all public servants to return to their offices as usuall by 2nd August. He informed that to make necessary arrangements regarding this to J. J.Ratnasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service, Provincial Councils and Local Governance.
Accordingly, all 09 circulars related to the Covid, issued by the Secretary to the President regarding public service with effect from 19-03-2020 have been canceled.
The government has now come to the conclusion that the majority of public servants have been vaccinated with Covid immunizations and it could be possible to function the public service in a regular manner. Accordingly, it has been decided to call all government employees to return to their work.
But it is a fact that everyone except the government agrees that the situation in the country is quite dangerous at the moment. The Western Province is particularly at risk. This was clearly stated by the Physiotherapist of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Ananda Wijewickrama yesterday. After the identification of the Delta variant, there has been an increase in the number of cases reported in the Western Province and the Colombo District as well.
Moreover, the majority of patients infected with Covid 19 need oxygen. The Government Medical Officers’ Association had also stated on yesterday that, once again the expansion of Covid 19 will result in creating critical situation in the country. Speaking to the media, Dr. Prasad Colombage, a member of the association, had stated that about 50% of the reported patients were in need of oxygen. He also stressed that if not take right decisions at the moment, there is a risk of the country being lock down again. .
Currently there are about 50 deaths occurred per day. He says this is a dangerous situation and between 4,000 and 4,500 patients could be expected to die within a month.
Meanwhile, the President of the Public Health Inspectors Association Upul Rohana had also stated that the decision taken to call all employees to work on this situation is problematic. He does not agree with the government’s decision at a time when there is high risk of spreading the virus.
According to the government, many people have received both doses of vaccination and it is not a problem to call them to return their work. But we do not forget that, the owner of the Capital Maharaja Institute and two persons in Negombo and Galle are died though they receive both doses of covid vaccination. Also, Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, a former media spokesman for the Ministry of Health, who has received both vaccines, has also become infected with Covid.
The situation at the Colombo National Hospital is also critical. More than 250 of there staff are currently infected with Covid including Ambulance drivers. Due to this reason, military personnel have been deployed in ambulances at the Colombo National Hospital.
Also, when traveling by train or bus, the distance is less than two meters and sometimes not even one meter. In such an insecure environment, Is not that a huge risk to call all employees back to work?
Shanika