Govt. must work with private healthcare to counter COVID-19: Ranil

United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called on the Government to prepare a mechanism to work in collaboration with private hospitals and healthcare facilities to effectively counter COVID-19. 

Issuing a statement, Wickremesinghe pointed out that many developed countries had already declared that their health care systems were not sufficient to handle the volume and scale of assistance needed if the number of patients increases rapidly.  

“The Government must have a dialogue with the private sector and prepare a mechanism to face the COVID-19 threat,” the statement read. 

While commending the Government’s decision to temporary shut down schools, Wickremesinghe stressed the need for transparency and for the Government to educate the public on the national strategy to counter the virus threat.