According to sources, Dr. Asoka Gunaratne, Consultant Anaesthetist, too has stepped down from the same Technical Committee after Dr Wijewickrama resigned from the committee.
“Several key decisions in respect of the Home Care Management, vaccination programme and other matters related to COVID-19 pandemic in the country, which were supposed to be taken by the relevant committee, have been taken by several makeshift and unofficial committees on several occasions,” sources said.
Decisions such as to give the Sputnik-V to Kandy with a letter which stated that they are given only a single dose of the vaccine and to vaccinate individuals in the age group of 20 to 29 in the Hambantota District with Pfizer have been taken without the knowledge of the committee in which Dr Wijewickrama was a key member.
The decision to give Pfizer to 20-29 age group was the immediate cause that precipitated the resignation and the letter issued by DGHS on this has been against all recommendations made.
Accordingly, Dr Wijewickrama and the other consultant have resigned in protest of the arbitrary decisions taken beyond the due recommendations.
The duo have informed the Director-General of Health Services and the Secretary to the Health Ministry about their resignation.
However, sources proceeded to say that the gazetted body which mainly decides on the immunization strategy in the country is the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD), which has been in action prior to the pandemic.
"The ACCD has a wide representation unlike the Intercollegiate Technical Committee of the Director-General of Health Services, which was appointed after the pandemic and is an official committee," sources added.
Earlier, top immunologist Prof. Neelika Malavige from the Sri Jayewardenepura University and Prof. A. Pathmeswaran (community physician) attached to the Colombo North (Ragama) Medical Faculty had also resigned from the independent vaccine advisory expert committee of the drug regulator. (Sheain Fernandopulle)
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