News
PHIs blame indigenous physicians’ propaganda for booster jab hesitancy
By Rathindra Kuruwita
It would be difficult to increase the number of people who receive booster shots if the government did not address the growing anti- vaccine sentiments among the people, head of the Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) Upul Rohana said yesterday.
Rohana said that at the beginning of the pandemic anti-vaccine sentiments had been rare among the people and that the overwhelming majority of the people wanted to get vaccinated.
“People were waiting in queues. People were asking the government to double jab them as fast as possible. Some people demanded to be jabbed with the Pfizer vaccine. Heath officials have done little to counter anti-vaccine propaganda.”
The PHIU head said that even some medical professionals contributed to the anti- vaccine sentiments. A number of indigenous medical practitioners carried out a campaign against vaccination on social media and such campaigns have gained traction over the past months.
“What did we do? Health officials didn’t do much. We didn’t try to counter these sentiments with facts and figures. We have not taken any action against those who disseminate anti- vaccine sentiments. Now, these wrong ideas are firmly rooted among a significant number of people,” he said.
Rohana said that until very recently, health officials had failed to pay adequate attention to the growing anti- vaccine sentiments. Senior health ministry officials believed that the people were not getting vaccinated because there was an issue with vaccine distribution and availability.
“This is why a vaccination week was introduced. The opening hours of vaccination centres were extended and the locations of the centres too were expanded. However, it is now obvious that we did not address the root causes of booster jab hesitance. People are not getting vaccinated because they fear the assumed side effects. A lot of people worry that this will affect their fertility. This is why people are not getting vaccinated and we have not given convincing data or a narrative to prove otherwise,” he said.
On the other hand, people had let their guard down because the government gave the impression that the threat posed by the coronavirus was on its way out, he said. For a long time health officials have not reported the real number of cases, the regulations were relaxed and people were encouraged to go back to the way they were living before the pandemic, the PHIU head said.
“After all that, the government and officials now claim that people have to behave responsibly. Now, the people think that the government is trying to distract them from other issues by playing up the COVID-19 card,” Rohana said.
Although the official COVID numbers were around the 900 a day, now at least 2,500 people contracted Covid-19 daily, he said. During the peak of the Delta wave, health officials were carrying out 25,000 PCR tests a day, however, only 12,000 PCR and rapid antigen tests (RAT) were being done now, Rohana said.
“Out of this, most are RATs, which are not effective unless a patient has a high viral load. What about those who don’t have a high viral loads? They can spread the disease. We need to know the ground realities. That is why we must do testing. We need to do more random testing,” he said.
Rohana said that around 82% of Sri Lankans had had both doses of an anti-COVID vaccine and that was the main reason why the deaths caused by COVID had not gone up. The main role of a vaccine was to reduce the severity of symptoms and to minimise deaths, he said.
“So, World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the world that Omicron can cause deaths and hospitalisation. We really should not take this easy,” Rohana said.
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Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 4.00 p.m. 08 May 2025, valid for 09 May 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
News
EC asks winners to name heads of majority-controlled LG institutions; bargaining continues in hung councils
Chairman of the Election (EC) Commission R. M. A. L. Ratnayake said yesterday that the EC would direct the political parties and independent groups that have secured absolute majorities in local government bodies to name the heads of those institutions.
The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties are vying for control of the hung local councils including the Colombo MC. Both the NPP and the SJB have offered to coalesce with independent groups to muster majorities.
Ratnayake said that notifications would be sent to the General Secretaries of parties and independent groups that have won local government bodies with a majority of more than 50% of the vote.
The results of the 2025 Local Government election held on Tuesday (6) were released on Wednesday (7).
The NPP won 266 out of 339 local government institutions. The SJB and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi won 13 and 37 councils respectively. Independent groups and regional Tamil political parties won the other councils.
However, the winners have failed to secure more than 50% of seats in a majority of the local government institutions.Ratnayake said that the members elected to local government institutions at the ward level would be officially gazetted in the coming days.
The heads of the non-majority councils will be elected by their members. The government and the Opposition are accusing each other of using financial inducements to make some councilors switch their allegiance ahead of the election of the heads of the hung local councils.
The NPP has said it is confident of forming stable administrations in 134 local councils, but the Opposition is of the view that the NPP will not be able to do so in about 186 councils.
The Supreme Court yesterday (8) turned down an appeal filed by former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, seeking the dismissal of a case against him and three others by the Attorney General over a road accident that took place in Rajagiriya in 2016.
This decision was announced by Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Gamini Amarasekera.
They ruled that the appeal lacked merit and directed the High Court to proceed with the trial.
The Attorney General filed the indictment on charges including concealing evidence regarding the alleged hit-and-run incident where the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, and the alleged fabrication of evidence related to the accident.
The Supreme Court ordered the Colombo High Court to take up the indictment filed against the defendants for examination.
Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northern and North-central provinces.
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