ECONOMYNEXT – Detection of the highly transmissible delta variant has become increasingly common in Sri Lanka together with an exponential rise in oxygen demand, experts said, urging the government to reconsider its decision to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
With daily infections surging, particularly those of the new strain, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) on Tuesday invited the government to revisit the curfew-style travel restrictions imposed in May and June this year.
The health sector’s capacity to treat the growing number of patients has “virtually reached its tipping point”, the AMS said in a statement.
The statement, signed by AMS President and consultant pediatrician Dr LakKumar Fernando and other doctors, warned that it’s a matter of days till the demand for oxygen exceeds supply.
The lack of oxygen, or more importantly the lack of an oxygen delivery mechanism to patients’ bedsides could cause deaths, the AMS said.
Further relaxation of Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 restrictions against this backdrop is like adding fuel to the fire, the doctors added.
“With such relaxations reaching the general public, who are already complacent in obeying guidelines, will invariably start behaving like ‘free birds’ aggravating the crisis further,” said the association.
Calling the situation ‘grim’, the specialists said restrictions should’ve been lifted only after vaccination targets were met and a decline of cases had been observed – “maybe in about four to eight weeks from now”.
The doctors acknowledged the urgency for economic activity to recommence in Sri Lanka, but warned against “impatient and hurried” decisions to open the country that they said will delay any expected economic growth.
“As medical specialists, we strongly believe that economists and others have to be alive in the first place to develop the economy, and no tourists will come unless and until Sri Lanka is a safe place with regard to the pandemic,” the AMC said.
“We are quite disappointed and saddened by the silence of professionals who act in advisory and advocacy capacity for lack of courage to inform the decision makers of the truth and reality of the ground situation,” it added.
The association said the professionals advising the government are very well aware of this reality.
“We certainly understand the importance of livelihoods, provided the lives are saved,” it said.
“It is better to have a living problem that a dead certainty,” it added.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports abound of hospitals – both state and private – and even hotels that have been converted to COVID-19 treatment centres are full to the brim. The Ragama Teaching Hospital is confirmed to have run out of capacity. Media reports showed patients in wards 26, which are dedicated to COVID-19 treatment, receiving their treatment in hallways due to a shortage of beds.
“It is common to see that in a hospital at a time of a pandemic. It is not acceptable but given the situation, hospital staff are doing their best to manage it,” Deputy Director of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath told reporters on Wednesday (04).
A total of 28,804 Sri Lankans are still being treated for the disease. Daily infections have passed the 2,000 mark for six days running. With 74 deaths being reported on Monday (02), total COVID-19 deaths in the country have increased to 4,645. Of these, 4,036 deaths occurred in the third wave that began in April this year.
Of Monday’s 74 deaths, 56 were above 60 years of age, 17 were aged between 30 and 59, while one was below 30.
According to the official data, 2,661 of the deaths were male while 1,910 were female.
Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage is the latest parliamentarian to contract COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. Reports said the minister was waiting for his PCR test results upon testing positive in a rapid antigen test.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa tweeted on Tuesday (03) that he finally received his COVID-19 vaccine, having earlier refused to take the jab purportedly to wait for his turn once the public had been vaccinated. Premadasa subsequently tested positive for asymptomatic COVID-19 on May 23.
Under the strict instructions of doctors who treated me for COVID I proceeded to get vaccinated today. Doctors strongly warned me that failure to get vaccinated may result in a recurrence of COVID which may be fatal.
— Sajith Premadasa (@sajithpremadasa) August 3, 2021
On the vaccine front, 89.7 percent of Sri Lanka’s over-30 population has received at least one jab, while 21.3 percent have been fully vaccinated. (Colombo/Aug04/2021)