By Saman Indrajith

Written history of pandemics dating back to around 2,500 years indicates that only scientific methods could cure the patients, and therefore the government should stop promoting concoctions prepared by people without any scientific background, says the JVP.

Addressing the media at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, former MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the government should promote scientific methods and build people’s confidence in those methods in fighting the pandemic instead of wasting time and money on concoctions and other methods which have not yet been recognised by science.

“This is a pandemic and increasing awareness among people on scientific findings and methods to fight the disease are the only way to set about the task of tackling the disease. The government and its ministers are engaged in various methods that have no scientific basis. Throwing pots into rivers and drinking syrups that had nothing to do with science are the government ministers’ response in the face of the pandemic that has killed over 200 persons. Their actions have demoralised the doctors and other experts who rely on scientific methods and procedures.”

Dr. Jayatissa said that the government had lost its grip on the pandemic. “As of Saturday night the number of deaths reached 211 and the number of infections 44,000. Around 500-700 COVID-19 infected persons are found daily. At this rate within a week we may pass the 50,000 mark. This is a dangerous situation that does not permit dilly-dallying with potions by shamans putting the lives of infected people in danger. We must do everything possible to prevent the new variant of COVID-19 virus entering the country.

“The government’s performance in controlling the first wave of the pandemic is praiseworthy. It was successful because people followed the health guidelines and many government agencies including the security forces and intelligence agencies with the help of health authorities did their level best to control the disease. However, the people have lost their trust in the government following the second wave of the pandemic because the government still could not trace the origin of the second wave even after deploying eight CID experts for the purpose. People think that either the government cannot find it or it is hiding it from the people. Thereafter, the government started to promote locally made syrups and other unscientific methods. The Health Minister and several ministers started throwing pots into rivers. Thereafter starting from the Minister of Health, the Speaker of Parliament and Cabinet ministers ingested the syrup in public.

“Magic cannot cure pandemics. People should be advised to maintain one-metre distance, wash their hands frequently and to wear masks. The government even prepared quarantine laws and regulations during the first wave. But later in the second wave its own ministers violated those regulations in public. Those actions too contributed to people losing faith in the health and scientific methods.”