By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday said that Sri Lanka didn’t need international mediation to decide whether to allow the burial of those who died from COVID-19, GMOA official Dr. Haritha Aluthge said yesterday.

Dr Aluthge told The Island that UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo Hanaa Singer had written to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, raising concerns over the Health Ministry guidelines according to which the creamation of those who die of COVID-19 is mandatory.

Dr. Aluthge said that the same debate raged during April and May and the GMOA had proposed that the best way to solve the issue was to listen to experts. A committee of experts had to be appointed for that purpose, he said.

“This committee should also have sociologists as well because there is a social dimension to the issue. How people feel about certain things is extremely important and we have to take them into account. We also want experts on water and soil in the committee.

The government should appoint this committee and let them do their job. Don’t try to intervene or make their task difficult,” Dr. Aluthge said.

The GMOA official said that confusion and the delay in taking important decisions had allowed international actors to weigh in on the issue. “We don’t need international involvement. We can solve this issue without foreign assistance. Let experts solve and until then politicians and religious leaders should not make inflammatory or contradictory statements. Social cohesion is extremely important in times of a crisis like this and the country needs to come together. This is a time when reconciliation is needed.”