Health personnel, including doctors, have been protesting against the decision to hand over a large quantity of Pfizer Covid 19 vaccines imported to Sri Lanka to the Army.
They have demanded that the management of the vaccination program is managed by the Ministry of Health and that the stock of vaccines given to the Army be handed over to the Ministry of Health, sources said.
A consignment of 150,000 Pfizer vaccines arrived in Sri Lanka from the United States this morning and doctors allege that the consignment was also given to the Army.
They also say that one of the leaders has accused the doctors that they are stealing it. However, the health sector urges that the Pfizer vaccine should be managed responsibly in the country as it is currently the only vaccine that can be given to children over 12 years of age.
They have requested from the Epidemiology Unit also the priority be given to vaccinating these children in cases where the leading health staff members are rapidly becoming infected with Covid and their children become infected with them.
Sources say that senior officials of the Ministry of Health are scheduled to hold a discussion regarding this today and the members of the Executive Committee of the Government Medical Officers’ Association are also scheduled to hold a meeting today.
