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Who denied Covid-19 vaccine to those above 60?
Community Physicians warn of catastrophe
Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, President of the College of Community Physicians yesterday (24) strongly criticised the sudden and unilateral government decision to do away with what he called the scientifically recommended Covid-19 vaccine priority list.
Appearing on Sirasa ‘Pathikada,’ anchored by Asoka Dias, Dr. Abeysinghe alleged that the priority list had been done away with on Feb 16 without consultations. Responding to a spate of probing questions, Dr. Abeysinghe explained how the powers that be acted recklessly contrary to the specific decisions taken by the National Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (NACCD) which also functions as a statutory body–the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).
Dr. Abeysinghe flayed the health ministry for ordering vaccination of those between 30 and 60 though NITAG decision was to give priority to those above 60 and people suffering from non-communicable diseases. The medical specialist emphasized that in terms of their overall plan, those above 60 were to receive the vaccine after the frontline health workers and the military and the police assigned for related services received the jab.
Dr. Abeysinghe said that the sudden deviation from the agreed plan confused the public. The top spokesperson for the College of Community Physicians warned that Sri Lanka would find it difficult to secure the promised vaccine stocks due to failure on the part of the manufacturers to meet the growing demand. Dr. Abeysinghe pointed out that failure to adhere to the agreed plan could cause chaos and may jeopardize the entire project.
Sri Lanka has so far received 500,000 vaccines from India. Dr. Abeysinghe said that the government was talking with India to procure more from the same source.
Political sources told The Island that the issue had been brought to the notice of the President. Sources said that those above 60 were deprived of the vaccine in some areas regardless of the original decision (SF)
South Korea’s Asiana Airlines has stopped selling some emergency exit row seats following an accident in which a passenger opened an emergency exit door midair causing panic on board.
The incident took place on an A321-200 plane, which was carrying nearly 200 passengers, as it approached the runway at Daegu International Airport, about 240km (150 miles) southeast of Seoul. The plane landed safely but several passengers were hospitalised. There were no serious injuries or damage.
The airline told the AFP news agency on Sunday the emergency exit seats – 31A and 26A – on its 14 A321-200 jets would no longer be offered for sale. “As a safety precaution, this measure will apply even if the flights are full,” it added. It is however unclear how the move might stop passengers seated elsewhere on the plane from attempting to open the emergency door.
The man, in his 30s, was arrested by authorities in Daegu for allegedly breaking aviation security laws. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He told Daegu police that he had been under a lot of stress after losing his job recently and that he opened the door because he wanted to get off quickly after feeling suffocated, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.
Video footage apparently taken by a person on board and posted on social media showed passengers’ hair being whipped about by air rushing into the cabin when the emergency door opened.
It is still unclear how Lee was able to open the emergency exit door mid-flight.
Jin Seong-hyun, a former Korean Air cabin safety official, said as far as he knew, this case was unprecedented, although passengers have opened emergency exits without authorisation while planes were on the ground.
A South Korean transport ministry official said it was possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.
(Aljazeera)
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