JCPSM urges Government to extend special holidays to health services

• Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine writes to President requesting extension of WFH holidays to health sector
• Says all health services staff reporting to work interferes with self-quarantine measures
• Granting leave for non-essential health services can contain spread of COVID-19

The Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine (JCPSM) yesterday asked that all holidays declared for public and private sectors in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is granted to the health sector as well.

The Government yesterday declared 20 to 27 March as a Work From Home (WFH) period for both sectors, extending the special holiday declared earlier this week. The JCPSM argues, however, that all healthcare professionals were required to report to work during this period as the holidays are not applicable to essential services, like the health sector.

“At present, a number of non-essential health services, for instance clinical disease testing, have been suspended and there are a limited number of general patients. In addition to this, the likelihood of the virus spreading in hospitals is high and COVID-19 can spread to the public though health services staff,” JCPSM Chairman Ravi Kumudesh wrote in a letter dated 19 March addressed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

However, the health sector is required to report to work as usual and Kumudesh argued that this interferes with self-quarantine measures. He added that the health sector was getting disheartened because leave granted to the public and private sectors was not applicable to them and asked that the WFH holidays are extended to the health sector as well.

“Health services can operate as it does during any other holiday with only the essential health services and any other services decided upon by the respective departments,” Kumudesh went on to state, explaining that staff should be allocated to these services as required.

Doing this would allow hospitals to get staff to come in as required and reduce the need for transport and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all health services staff, and reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading to and from them, he further stated.