‘Decision in the hands of Expert Committee chaired by DGHS’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle says that the Expert Committee on Covid-19 will have to decide on making an official request for women not to get pregnant for about a year.

Dr. Fernandopulle said so when The Island sought her opinion on Dr. Harsha Atapattu’s appeal to the newly married and others to delay getting pregnant in view of the increased threat posed by the raging Covid-19 epidemic.

Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) heads the Expert Committee. Dr. Gunawardena didn’t answer his phone.

Dr. Atapattu made an unprecedented appeal at the regular media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau on Wednesday (8). Dr. Atapattu addressed the media along with Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Hemantha Herath. He urged family planning during the interim period as the epidemic posed a severe threat to both mother and child. Dr. Herath too didn’t answer his phone.

The appeal was made in the wake of authorities placing the number of pregnant women infected by Covid-19 at 5,500 and the number of fatalities from the virus in that group at 41.

Asked to explain her stand as the State Minister in charge of Covid, who was also a medical specialist, the Gampaha District lawmaker said Dr. Atapattu’s appeal should be examined against the backdrop of the pregnant being at a high risk of contracting Covid-19, especially the Delta variant.

“Maternal death rate has gone up due to Covid-19 as immunity is weak during pregnancy,” Dr. Fernandopulle said.

Responding to another query, Dr. Fernandopulle emphasized that she shouldn’t be misconstrued as being supportive of the appeal.

The State Minister said that she made her assessment on scientific facts to save the life of the mother and baby. Questioned whether she believed the crisis could be overcome by family planning methods, the State Minister said that the issue at hand was whether things would improve in a year.

Dr. Fernandopulle said that she was not aware whether the issue had been discussed at the ministry level before Wednesday’s announcement was made at the Health Promotion Bureau.

So far, Covid-19 has caused nearly 11,000 deaths.

Acknowledging the merits in the appeal, Dr. Fernandopulle emphasized that it would be far more important to control the virus and its rapid spread. Asserting that it was an individual doctor’s opinion, Dr. Fernandopulle said that the opinion of the Sri Lanka Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ body too was important in that regard.

The Island sought views of several persons in the health sector regarding Dr. Atapattu’s appeal. They asserted that though Covid-19 posed quite a threat and a challenge, it wouldn’t be realistic to advise families or couples not to have babies.

WHO says there is no evidence to suggest that pregnant women are at a higher risk than the general population, of getting severely ill from the virus.

According to WHO, because a woman’s immune system undergoes changes during pregnancy, it is crucial that she takes good preventative measures to protect herself from illness, including COVID-19.