President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says special attention should be paid to protect those who are suffering from non-communicable diseases from COVID-19 virus. 

Medical experts have pointed out that 93% of the COVID-19 related deaths reported within the past few days in Sri Lanka, as well as in other countries were due to the infection of coronavirus by people suffering from non-communicable diseases. People with heart ailments, diabetes, kidney problems and cancer are more vulnerable to virus infection. Most of the deaths have occurred without displaying symptoms of COVID and subsequent PCR tests confirmed that they were COVID infected.

President directed relevant parties to give priority to address this situation and disseminate applicable guidelines and conduct awareness campaigns soon to protect those suffering from non-communicable diseases and to prevent from infection.

President made these remarks during the daily briefing with the members of the Task Force on COVID Prevention held at the Presidential Secretariat today (11).

During today’s meeting, measures to be taken, areas to be studied to protect people and to ensure their overall health security in the event of the emergence of similar viruses in the future were discussed at length, in addition to the current status of COVID-19 spread and the progress of control.

While recognizing hardships faced by the people in accessing major hospitals, the President has emphasized that regional dispensaries system across the country should be made fully functional as soon as possible. He also said that required resources such as doctors, nurses, midwives and other staff members should be attached to these dispensaries expeditiously. 

It should be continuously monitored whether the parties involved in delivering goods to isolated areas are adhering to proper mechanisms. President said no one should be allowed to enter or leave these designated areas. 

Current situation at prisons and measures taken to prevent further spread of the diseases were also discussed in length.

President instructed officials to take necessary steps to prevent movements from the Western Province, where the majority of the COVID-19 infections were identified, to other parts of the country. 

Ministers Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Keheliya Rambukwella, Members of Parliament Premanath C Dolawatta, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and members of the Task Force were present during the discussion.