SJB demands full information on COVID vaccine procurement

By Asiri Fernando

SJB Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday demanded that the Government should be more transparent regarding vaccine supply and the capacity to cope with a large number of COVID-19 infected patients. 

Addressing the media SJB Parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar said that there was a reasonable fear among the public that those given

the first dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines may not receive the second dose, given the Government’s delay in securing adequate AstraZeneca stocks. Marikkar was joined by SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara.

“A total of 600,000 people are waiting for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. There is discussion now about using the Sputnik and Sinopharm vaccines in their place. There is fear among the public about this. The Government should get medical experts to explain the pros and cons of such an arrangement to the public,” MP Marikkar argued.

The Opposition MP opined that if the Government did not disclose information about the COVID-19 containment measures and vaccination promptly, the public may lose faith in the public health apparatus, which could lead to greater complications.  

“The Government needs to stop hiding information and inform the public about how much AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik and Pfizer vaccines have been ordered. Why can’t the Government disclose the purchase orders that they have made?” MP Marikkar charged, stressing that the public had a right to know the details.

Marikkar also urged the Government to give adequate notice to the public when imposing travel restrictions, arguing that daily wage earners and those who needed to travel long distance for work would be caught off guard when restrictions come into effect overnight.

The Opposition Parliamentarians reiterated their call for the Government to heed expert advice when making decisions regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and pointed out that broader consultation would help to improve the counter-measures.

“We call on the Government again to summon an all-party conference on this crisis. The Government needs to change its approach, many mistakes have been made that could have been avoided. We are not trying to gain politically by blaming the Government, we want to help. The Opposition Leader has indicated this,” MP Madduma Bandara stressed.