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Elders languish outside National Hospital

06 Aug 2021

  • Inadequate vaccine doses at Viharamahadevi, IDH
BY Buddhika Samaraweera  A large number of people, the majority being elderly persons over 60 years of age, were seen waiting in long queues outside the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo yesterday (5) to obtain their first doses of the Sinopharm vaccine due to a distributional miscalculation. These elders had initially gone to the Covid-19 vaccination drives conducted at the Viharamahadevi Park and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) but had been directed to the NHSL due to the insufficient number of Sinopharm vaccine doses allocated for the Viharamahadevi Park and IDH vaccination venues. Accordingly, they had arrived near the NHSL and massive congestion was observed in the area as a result. When The Morning inquired from the NHSL last evening, it was revealed that the NHSL had received only 1,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to be administered to the public yesterday. This was confirmed by a hospital official and she also confirmed that a long queue was there. However, The Morning learnt that the Viharamahadevi Park vaccination venue had received additional Sinopharm vaccine doses in the evening and that the Sri Lanka Army had recommenced vaccination. The National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Head and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva recently said that the first dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine would be available at several places from yesterday onwards for those over 60 years of age, who have not yet received any Covid-19 vaccine. He added that the vaccination programme would be conducted at the NHSL, the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital, the IDH, the Avissawella Base/District General Hospital, and the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo from 8.30 a.m. yesterday. Attempts to contact Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, General Silva, and Health Ministry Communications Director Dr. Hemantha Herath to inquire into the matter, were unsuccessful.


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