GMOA raises key issues with Govt. including better protection for healthcare staff

• Raises six issues regarding management of COVID-19
• Says protective equipment and measures for doctors and other staff inadequate in most institutions
• Wants mechanism established to rest and prevent exposure of staff

The GMOA yesterday raised several issues with Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe regarding the management of COVID-19 including better protection for healthcare staff saying that a supply of protective equipment as well as protective measures for doctors and other staff is inadequate in most institutions.

The GMOA raised six issues for which it is seeking a speedy response from the Health Ministry.

The GMOA said that data collected and available with the Epidemiology Unit as well as other sources should be made available to for analysing and predicting in order to formulate statistics and prepare accurate guidelines for all institutions and staff to adhere to.

The GMOA also wants a mechanism established to rest and prevent exposure of staff, with full remunerations, at all times by arranging duties alternatively while all healthcare staff in quarantine as well as showing symptoms suspicious of COVID-19 to be tested free-of-charge.

“Welfare such as providing necessary on-call, resting facilities as well as provision of food should be facilitated,” the GMOA said in the letter, adding that these measures need to be put in place speedily to prevent breakdown of the healthcare services at this crucial time.