COLOMBO – The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) on Tuesday (3) urged the government to revisit its COVID-19 restriction protocols in the wake of surging numbers of oxygen-dependent patients and the Delta variant being commonly detected, warning hospital capacity to accommodate patients has virtually reached its tipping point.
The medical specialist body also said the lifting of restrictions should have been deferred by four to eight weeks, when Sri Lanka has achieved vaccination targets along with declining numbers of COVID-19 daily cases.
In a media release issued on Tuesday, the medical specialists, many of who serve in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19, said with the increasing demand for oxygen, it will be a matter of few days to exceed the supply, warning of resultant deaths due to lack of oxygen or more importantly due to the lack of oxygen delivery mechanism to the patient’s bedside. The crisis will be equally applicable to both public and private sectors, the AMS further warned.
In such a backdrop, further relaxation of Covid restrictions, the AMS said, was akin to adding, ‘fuel to the fire’,
Noting that as a professional body it was their prime responsibility to alert and warn the decision-makers of the current grim situation, it said impatient and hurried decisions to open the country up will invariably delay any expected economic growth due to surging COVID-19 related mortality and morbidity.
“As medical specialists, we strongly believe that economists and others have to be alive in the first place to develop the economy and no tourist will come to our country unless and until we are a reasonably safe place with regards to the current pandemic.” the AMS said, expressing its disappointment at the silence of professionals who act in advisory and advocacy capacity, for their lack of courage to inform the decision-makers of the truth and realities of the ground situation.
Claiming that the advisors would be very well aware of the current grim situation in the health sector, the medical specialists, who describe themselves as scientific, practical, and pragmatic professionals, said they were compelled to request the government to revisit its COVID-19 restriction protocols in the wake of surging numbers, especially with the deadly delta variant.
Echoing the AMS, the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), Dr. Padma Gunaratne, warned Tuesday, that the COVID-19 situation will worsen over the next two weeks, given the rising number of cases and the return of unrestricted movements. The situation for the next two weeks has already been decided, she said, warning that cases will continue to rise.
“The number of cases now being reported is very high. This is why we said two weeks ago that travel restrictions must continue,” Gunaratne told reporters, noting that the SLMA had previously warned against lifting a COVID-19 travel restriction between provinces.
The SLMA called on the public to ensure health protocols are followed even after vaccination to prevent the further spread of the virus.
-ENCL