Local English daily newspaper, the Daily Mirror has reported today that the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) had not supervised any of those who were brought down from India in repatriation flights chartered by Brandix Apparel Ltd. Quoting the PHI Union the newspaper said the Public Health Inspectors Union of Sri Lanka claims that none of their members ever supervised any of those who were brought down from India by Brandix who claim to have subjected all returnees to a 14 day self-quarantine.
Secretary, Public Health Inspectors Union (PHIU), M. Balasooriya dismissing the contents of the media releases issued by Brandix Apparel Ltd and the Task Force of the National Operational Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, said that, had any one of those who were brought to Sri Lanka from Visakhapatnam, India undergone the 14 day mandatory quarantine at a government-regulated quarantine center, they would have been handed over to them the (PHIs) to supervise the remaining 14 day self-quarantine period.
“Although those who are responsible are now claiming that the passengers who were brought down from India underwent the regulated 28 day quarantine, let them show our Union the details where they underwent the mandatory quarantine and who the respective PHIs were, who supervised them during the 14 day self-quarantine,” Balasooriya alleged.
According to the newspaper when it had contacted Rasika, the Load Controller at the Mattala Airport to obtain details of the load sheet in which arrival details of passengers aboard UL 1159 which landed at Mattala Airport on September 22, at 14.05 hrs, the newspaper was asked to contact the Station Manager Sri Lankan Airlines Uddika Lakshman. The latter too had refused to divulge any details and wanted the newspaper to contact the Head of Media, Sri Lankan Airlines, Deepal Perera.
Perera had then requested the newspaper to send him an official request to which an e-mail was sent. However, without providing the details sought – the names and their nationality of each passenger, Perera replied as follows,
“The names of passengers who traveled with us is confidential information and disclosure of that information violates our confidentiality obligations towards the passengers. We are unable to share any passenger manifest of a flight containing the names of individuals with a third party unless there is a Court order or directive from our Regulatory Authority directing us to provide any specific information to the Court or such Authority. We appreciate your understanding and we consider this matter as now closed,” Deepal.
The newspaper also revealed through a source that although Brandix claims that they have not employed any foreigner at their Minuwangoda factory, that there are Indian workers attached to the Minuwangoda factory.
Link to the original article: http://www.dailymirror.lk/top_story/PHIs-did-not-supervise-Brandix-Repatriation-flights-:-PHI-Union/155-197594?fbclid=IwAR0lgeUHVnZuiAV5iLndT_EGekS2580gNN3VPAoFdm5VqRH_Lz4hl-TPPgs
