Sri Lanka has lost proportionately more than twice the number of people that China had lost due to COVID-19, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said yesterday.

Premadasa said that the government’s lack of concern for human life was the main reason why such a large number of people had died.

Premadasa said that over 4,000 new cases were now officially reported by the government on a daily basis and that the number of daily deaths had passed the 200 mark.

“Things are grave but the government is trying to normalise the situation. The Minister of Health said that over 200 people die anyway with or without COVID-19. Another senior government MP said that COVID-19 is not a dangerous disease and compared it to a common cold. All these are indications that the government cares little about our lives,” he said.

The Opposition Leader said that the vaccination process was in disarray and people had started fighting with each other at vaccination centres. The capacity of hospitals had exceeded and the country was facing a shortage of medicine, he said.

“Health professionals are under great stress because politicians are telling them how to do their jobs,” he said.

Premadasa said that the government had increased the prices of essential items at a time when people were suffering economically.

“A farmer can’t buy a kilo of sugar even if he sells five kilos of paddy. By August 26 the price of a kilo of sugar was Rs. 210. A week ago a kilo of sugar was Rs. 160. Two weeks ago it was Rs. 140. Even the Minister of Consumer Affairs is shocked,” he said.

A few months ago the government allowed a close business associate to make billions of rupees through irregular taxation on sugar, the SJB leader said.

“All the promises made by the government have proven to be lies. The government can’t even impose a lockdown. It is now clear that this government could never bring about development,” he said. (RK)