Health Ministry not yet informed healthcare workers to vaccinate their family members: AMS

While stressing that certain categories of healthcare workers especially a powerful medical trade union were granted special provision to vaccinate their immediate family members, Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) said this has happened in such a situation where the Ministry of Health has not issued any general announcement to health staff to this effect.

AMS President Dr Lakkumar Fernando told Daily Mirror that above mentioned unfair prioritization of certain categories of frontline workers for vaccination at this critical juncture could give rise to serious disharmony among frontline staff battling the present pandemic.

“We have come to know that a powerful medical trade union has begun its process of registering families of their membership to obtain the vaccine, especially the second dose of AstrZeneca vaccine, on a preferential basis disregarding all other categories of frontline health workers,

“Until we secure vaccines for all eligible citizens of this country, we are of the opinion that prioritization should only be based on a scientific assessment of "exposure risk” and certainly not the rank or position in the health sector,” he underlined.

Dr Fernando also warned that if a rational approach is not adopted, all powerful trade unions in the public sector would be up in arms demanding equal privilege for their families resulting in absolute chaos.

“Thus, we would like to emphasise that scientifically sound vaccination policy is the need of the hour to prevent possible disharmony amongst front line health care workers at this critical juncture,” he added.

Meanwhile, he said they had already informed Secretary to Health Ministry Dr S.H Munasinghe in a letter dated May 11 requesting him to consider the possibility of giving COVID-19 vaccination for families of Health care professionals as their family members are exposed higher level of risk as a result of them.

They have also written to Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena in a letter dated May 23 requesting an urgent meeting to discuss crisis & unrest caused by unfair vaccination policy.

However, Dr Lakkumar said they had not yet received positive response for either of these letters.

Daily Mirror's several attempts to contact Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena failed. However, when contacted Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath, he said he was not in a position to give an official statement on this as he was not aware of it. (Sheain Fernandopulle)