The use of the Sinopharm vaccine provided free of charge by the Chinese government was delayed for several months due to the activities of several individuals, the Chairman of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, said at a press conference held at the Government Information Department.
If it had been given on time, Sri Lanka would have been able to get millions of Sinopharm vaccines before the Sinhala New Year and could not have controlled the emergence of a third corona wave.
The main allegation against the use of the Sinopharm vaccine has been levelled by a union leader who represents a minority of doctors and the same person has been also accused of actively trying to prevent the use of the Russian Sputnik vaccine.
The Director-General of Health Services has appointed a technical committee to make a recommendation as to whether or not the first dose of the Sputnik vaccine will be given to Sri Lanka in 50,000 doses.
The committee recommended that 50,000 Sputnik doses be given to Sri Lankans based on the World Health Organization’s recommendation that only one of the two doses of the vaccine be given in the face of a global pandemic
Accordingly, the vaccination program was launched in the Kandy District. However, the above-mentioned specialist states that giving Sputnik even a single dose in this manner is a bad, short-sighted and unethical act.
He has expressed this view in several places and has tried to thwart the Sputnik vaccine.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has already called for a formal investigation into his actions, which continue to hamper vaccination against the covid disease in Sri Lanka. It is said that this doctor is close to a former Minister of Health.
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