MOH and PHI assistance to detect those who travelled out of Western Province: GMOA

Medical Health Officers (MOHs) and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) have been deployed to provide assistance to the Police to detect persons who travelled out of Western Province before the curfew, General Secretary of Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Dr. Haritha Althuge today said.

Dr. Aluthge added that those who have travelled out of the province are posing a great risk to the entire country.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Dr. Althuge said that the Police had commenced special operations to detect the persons who travelled out Western Province adding that legal action would be taken against them violating quarantine regulations under the Quarantine Act.

“I personally saw so many vehicles at the Southern Expressway entrance in Kottawa before the curfew. People still don’t understand their responsibility and how they are putting others' lives at risk. The curfew imposed on the Western Province was a temporary measure to curb the spread of the virus,” he said.

He added that people had gone for a holiday despite requests to remain within the province and the health officers in relevant areas now have to take extra measures to identify these people.

“We always advised the public that in the current situation most of the patients were asymptomatic and the relevant authorities needed time to detect those patients. That was the main reason to impose the curfew in the Western Province,” he said.

Dr. Althuge said that the persons who violate the health provision in areas confirmed as virus-infected areas can be punished with a maximum fine of Rs. 10,000 or six-month imprisonment or both. (Yoshitha Perera)