4 April 2020 12:00 am
By Jamila Husain
The Health Ministry yesterday urged the public to stop creating a stigma over the COVID-19 pandemic as this was leading to positive patients not seeking medical help on time.
“We need to start addressing the stigma that has been created around this pandemic,” a senior official from the Ministry told Daily Mirror.
“If we do not address this issue, we may have more cases in the society that may pose a threat to more people. So we need to stop stigmatising and marginalising people with the virus,” the official added. The Ministry further said that it was most necessary that people who develop symptoms at the early stage, get admitted immediately, as seeking treatment early would save lives and prevent a spread.
The Ministry further said in order to get those infected to the hospitals early, an environment had to be created that they were not criminals and this virus was not a crime.
The Health Promotion Bureau which is also in the forefront in fighting the pandemic in Sri Lanka has also urged people who have developed symptoms to seek medical attention immediately so that lives can be saved and a spread can be prevented.
The GMOA recently warned that Sri Lanka may soon advance into the next stage of the pandemic that is small group cluster transmissions.