By Saman Indrajith

The Samagi Jana Balavegaya yesterday called on the government to increase funds used for COVID-19 relief and promised that it would not raise other issues to put the government in difficulty as it was fighting against the worst pandemic the human civilization had ever faced.

SJB Kalutara District MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the government so far had spent only 16 percent of the COVID-19 fund and requested that at least Rs 20,000 each be given to people who had lost their livelihoods.

“We promise you not to raise other issues even if the government finds it difficult to manage if it pay the people more. Many other countries have done so with the assistance of their Oppositions. We have so far spent only .003 percent of the national income by way of COVID-19 relief. Many governments have paid six months salaries to their people. The US has spent 15 percent, Japan 20 percent. Even our neighbour India spent 10 percent of their national income. But under the present circumstances our government even charges for the coffin of the people who die from the pandemic.”.

The former Health Minister said: “The budget allocation for the Health Ministry has been curtailed. The proposals contain only an insurance scheme. The minister may find it difficult to work under such circumstances. The pandemic situation is worsening. At the first wave our position was 150 among 220 countries affected by the pandemic. Today, in the second wave our position has come to the worst place as now we are at 98. This is a global pandemic and 62 million people in 22 countries are infected. Of them, 42 million have recovered and unfortunately one and half million persons have died. In our country, 400 to 600 infections are detected daily. We do not know the situation with regard to those who are not tested”.

He called on the Minister of Health to impose price controls on face masks and sanitisers. “Hand sanitiser prices have been jacked up. When the dengue disease was spreading fast, I brought down the price of blood tests in private hospitals from Rs 750 to 150. You can bring in price controls. Do not let the businessmen exploit people in this manner.”