• Cabinet Spokesperson claims removal an internal issue
• Says Health Minister will make necessary statements if required
• Speculation rife removal came after statements on community spread of COVID-19

The Government yesterday stated that the removal of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) Director Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara was not a politically-influenced move but an internal issue.

Cabinet Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella

Several reports surfaced yesterday on Dr. Bandara’s removal from his position at the MRI, which carries out testing of samples collected from persons suspected of having COVID-19. 

In response to a question on the matter Cabinet Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said: “There is no political influence whatsoever. It is a management issue between the Health Ministry and the Medical Research Institute. If there is any issue, the Health Minister will inform the public of it.” Despite this, several claims were made that the removal of the MRI Director came after Dr. Bandara’s remarks on television about community transmission of COVID-19 having existed for the past few months. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva, for instance, tweeted yesterday: “Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, Director of MRI, [the] institute responsible for #coronavirus testing in #SriLanka has been sacked for allegedly saying ‘#Covid had been present in [the] community for [the] past few months,’… Shooting [the] messenger is not [the] answer.”

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