President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has accepted the request by doctors and closed the country that is facing its lowest economic growth after Independence and now it is time for people to show how much they love and care for themselves, their loved ones, aged parents and family members who suffer from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Assistant Secretary Dr. Navin De Zoysa said.
He told the media in Colombo yesterday that implementing strict travel restrictions for 14 days would break one circle of the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic will be weakened.
The Government and health staff have done their best and now it is the turn of the public to do their best by staying at home. Now, people can show their close family members how much they love and care for them by protecting them from Covid-19.According to Dr. Zoysa, the GMOA took the leadership to provide vaccinations against Covid19 for the aged parents, parents who suffer from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and close family members of the health staff and now certain health trade unions are screaming from the rooftops because they have lost their popularity.
Some trade union leaders have already obtained the vaccine but tell the media otherwise, he said. Dr. Zoysa said that vaccinating close family members of health staff will strengthen the mental stability of the health workers to carry out Covid-19 treatment and care.
Without mental solace they cannot concentrate on their tough job which they have been doing for the past one-and-a-half years without a break. Knowing this, it was the GMOA which demanded the vaccination for close family members of health staff since last year, he added.
Dr. Zoysa said that the media did not do a good job while communicating the importance of following health guidelines during the recent Sinhala and Tamil New year and at least from now, the media should stop chasing after money and private agendas and give priority to unite people against Covid-19 by stressing the importance of staying at home.