Health Secy: ‘Will announce cause once established’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) spokesperson Nishantha Warnasinghe yesterday (18) said that both the government and the Brandix apparel manufacturer owed an explanation to the public how the corona eruption took place in the Minuwangoda garment factory of the company.

 The former Western Province PC member said the Brandix eruption shouldn’t continue to be a mystery.

 Warnasinghe alleged that the government seemed reluctant to go the whole hog though Army Chief Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva and Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera publicly declared that the 39-year-old Brandix supervisor tested positive at the Gampaha government hospital after she was admitted there on Sept 30 hadn’t been the cause of the crisis.

 Now it would be the responsibility of the government to inquire into the circumstances leading to the devastating corona eruption, Warnasinghe said, urging health authorities to set the record straight.

 Responding to The Island queries, Warnasinghe said that soon after the Brandix eruption, the blame was on the worker tested positive at the Gampaha hospital. However,  Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Lt. Gen. Silva and Dr. Samaraweera cleared the woman concerned, Warnasinghe said.

 “People have a right to know how the second wave erupted,” the JHU spokesman said, pointing out that both print and electronic media raised several pertinent questions, particularly the return of Sri Lankans attached to the Brandix facility in Andhra Pradesh and their families in three chartered flights on June 25, Aug 8 and Sept 22 and were accommodated in hotels.

 Pointing out that the Oct 14 issue of The Island in an article titled ‘Brandix eruption’ quoted the company as having revealed the hotels where the returnees had been accommodated before they underwent the14-day self-quarantine, Warnasinghe asked whether anyone of them tested positive.

 Warnasinghe said that the government should raise the issue with the company if it hadn’t done so already. The failure to establish the real cause may result in cover-up accusations directed at the government, Warnasinghe said, pointing out that the GMOA recently demanded Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera to reveal the cause of the epidemic.

 Warnasinghe also questioned the procedures followed in allowing Brandix to operate charter flights from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh to Mattala airport. In addition to Brandix, was any other Sri Lankan or foreign company allowed to bring in staff based in other countries, Warnasinghe asked.

 Responding to another query, Warnasinghe said that the possibility of negligence causing the second wave couldn’t be ruled out.

 The government delayed issuing the relevant gazette till the eruption of the second wave, Warnasinghe said. Emphasizing that the gazette should have been issued soon after the first eruption in March 2020, Warnasinghe demanded why the SLPP administration took so long to issue it. By the time, it was issued on Oct 15 (11 days after declaration of curfew in some parts of the Gampaha police division as a precautionary measure) irreversible damage was caused.

 Warnasinghe pointed out that the Sunday’s announcement that Rs 400 mn had been allocated for those affected due to corona in the Gampaha district revealed the enormity of the problem. The JHU spokesman questioned whether the country had the wherewithal to allocate such large sums against the backdrop of the severe economic slowdown. Remembering how the government was compelled to dole out Rs 5,000 each for those affected countrywide in two consecutive months earlier this year during the first phase of the pandemic when the government had to introduce a lockdown, Warnasinghe warned of dire consequences unless the situation could be brought under control soon.

 Warnasinghe noted that the number of positive cases exceeded the 2,000 mark now.

 Referring to swift action taken by Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, on behalf of the government to obtain compensation to the tune of USD 1.9 mn from the owners of the large crude carrier New Diamond, which caught fire off Sri Lanka’s east coast on September 3, Warnasinghe emphasized the pivotal importance in establishing the cause of the corona eruption. Those responsible should be asked to pay compensation, Warnasinghe said.

 Health Secretary ex-Army Officer Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe yesterday (18) told The Island that they were yet to establish the real cause of the second wave. Retired Maj. Gen. Munasinghe revealed that initially they probed three possible causes though two of them were subsequently ruled out. Dr. Munasinghe said so when The Island asked him whether the government was able to ascertain how the eruption took place. The Health Secretary suggested that The Island clarify it with Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera as the complex process was handled by the Epidemiology unit. The Chief Epidemiologist said that they were yet to reach a final conclusion though the 39-year-old woman could be cleared of causing the eruption.