Second jab; manure and impactful tidbits

Hooray! Cheers! Hallelujah! Sadhu Sadhu!

You may justifiably wonder whether ole Cass has finally gone batty, beyond the pale of sanity. Such jubilation? What about when the country is drowned in C19 infection with even the worst variant invading; rock bottom on dollars; and farmers (40% of working population) up with their mammoties, very justifiably protesting. Cass’s jubilation is because she got the second jab and it was Astra Zeneca.

On Monday at around 4.30 she got a telephone call (super since to ole Cass SMSs are alien) and a very polite man directed her to go to Mugalan Road in Kirilapone with name of centre given, the following day at 1.30 pm. She and her domestic were allocated numbers too. When word got round that the second jab was being given at this location many crowded along the road. They were told an SMS message was needed to get the vaccination. Very strict control and how? The vaccination process had been taken over by Army personnel and they are incorruptible. We remember how when we gathered en masse at Chitra Lane for our first, many were taken in through a side gate and given the jab with no numbers allotted them. Money making by lower level persons, probably Municipal or Health workers.

Cassandra has morphed into a Doubting Thomas and you dare not blame her. No need of elaboration since very sadly even the government can no longer be trusted. She wondered whether she would get the jab, even whether the telephone call was a hoax. She went to that place at 12.45 and gateman asked “SMS?” and waved her away. An Army person was much gentler and accepted her answer “telephone call”. Her mentioning the two numbers given her proved to be ultra cogent Open Sesames. The gate was opened for her and her domestic and she was immediately sent to the computer persons and given the jab. The Kelaniya Uni Dept of Immunology was carrying out research on people’s immunity levels and Cass gladly donated a bit of her life’s blood. Anything for that wonderful Medical Prof – Neelika Malavige whom we greatly respect.

SL dirty habit

Cass needs must mention a Sri Lankan habit exhibited there which was truly disgusting. Swabs of cotton wool were strewn all over the ground where people were to sit out 20 minutes. They were not escaping bits of cotton wool but had blood stains proving they were thrown on the floor by persons – all over 70, mind you – with two garbage bins staring them in the face. Our nation is doomed more than by incompetent and corrupt governments by the people themselves. Getting free vaccines, given so efficiently, they did not have the decency, leave aside grace, to drop the wads into a bin as they exited the hall.

Absolute praise to the Army personnel manning the inoculation centre and the systematic manner the second dose of A-Z vaccine was given the over 70s in Colombo. They were strict in keeping rules. That is a big change for Ordinaries like Cass. She was home in no time, heaving a sigh of great relief and giving merit to all who work so hard to accommodate this work and the Health Service who surely directed this job that was long overdue. Remember Cass crying for manna in the form of the second jab in previous Cry-s. She also held her head high as she had refused an offer of a jab out of turn through someone’s medical influence. There are many like Cass who opted to do or die but wait in queue until summoned for the second jab.

Question –

from where did these doses of Astra Zeneca vaccine appear? Not from overseas, since then we would have seen on TV news, many times over, a large crowd at Katunayake Airport with the Minister of Sports (not M of Health), Prof – sorry, Dr – oops sorry again – Mr Namal Rajapaksa centre staged stretching out his ministerial arm to receive the consignment.

Cass is somewhat looking the gift horse in the mouth when she asks this question, but the vaccine would have been within the country, and given Ordinaries earlier. Someone said it was the remainder of that sent for front line health workers. It is a wonder any was left since the GMOA demanded vaccines for immediate family and many decided it meant extended families. Laugh goes around that one doc had five wives who demanded and probably got the jab; while a female doc too had many men appearing claiming to be her husband!

Inorganic Organic – whichever: helluva mess.

Cassandra often comments on the current Monday’s Face the Nation programme on MTV1 channel. The talk show was again excellent on Monday 28 June, conducted by incomparably sharp-and-spot-on questioning Shameer Rasooldeen with four journos in tow and competently guiding the 9.30 – 12 midnight panel discussion. There was a blitz in the way of an interruption which lasted more than five minutes. Incidental? Accidental? The fault of connections, or gawd forbid, precipitated by a puppeteer?

Panelists were Hemankumar Nanayakkara (SJB), Dr Harini Amarasooriya (JVP), Kesaralal Gunasekera (SLFP) and Pradeep Jayawardena (SLFP and grandson of JRJ). The subject was Understanding Sri Lanka’s political situation (Cass may be incorrect in the last word of the title she’s given but the context is clear). Dr Harini, only woman with two political heavyweights, was undoubtedly the sharpest, taking a bold stand, who called a spade a spade. There sits a woman who should be serving a government which truly serves its purpose, which is, looking after its people. She summed up the fertilizer crisis which is bringing forth protests by farmers across the island as “Inorganic fertilizers have been banned, not due to concern for the people’s health but because the government is short of dollars to buy it.” Added by her or Nanayakkara was that the harvest of rice and other commodities would be greatly reduced. Hemakumar N was also excellent and spoke as an agriculturist and more from what he had studied and knew; he is highly educated in subjects relevant to agriculture. To people, already suffering a burdensome COL and other travails, starvation would stare them in the face. Importing rice would be much more expensive than brining in inorganic fertilizers. Surely these are all known by the powers that be. Are they stubbornly sticking to a decision made and endangering 21 million people’s lives?

Impactful happenings

The week under review was full of occurrences of great significance et al. However, Cass will leave criticism to those who know better. She only says there were two entrances, an exit and a dredging. Yes, the entrances were Ranil W back to his second home, if Cass can classify the August House by the Diyawanne as such; and return of Basil R to his second home, US being his first – the safer and richer country. The bewilderment in Cass’s mind is how he, the latter, is being hailed as the savior of the country: economy will be put right by him; fuel prices reduced forthwith, claim pohottu Ministers. Can he wave his magic wand/superhuman powers/ deva gathi and send Covid 19 with all its variants flying away? Yes, he will surely reduce fuel prices. Cass’s evil mind concocts a story of Gaman being used as a foil. Basil R’s return is hailed as a sure start of happiness and security from want etc etc. For us Ordinaries? Plenty Chinamen to tell this to!

Which reminds Cass of another happening this week – dredging an almost sacred ancient wewa – not to increase its water capacity to help people but to extract something of value. Chamal R was seen in pictures at the site; didn’t look as if he was on a fault finding inspection.

The exit was from prison Death Row by the grace and power of the Prez to so decree one special detainee his freedom. He leaves behind three who were imprisoned in same row as him for same crime. No wonder prisoners scaled Welikada walls to protest on the roof for pardons!!