Way of life
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The trio had gathered in the garden. It was their once-or-twice-a-week meetings, their way of life in the fast lane to discuss political happenings and other gossip, unwinding before going back to their household chores. And the margosa tree was the popular meeting place.“Mokakdda me ennatha, apatath eka devida (What about this vaccine? Will we get it)?” asked Serapina, the youngest of the trio, adjusting herself to be more comfortable on the bench under the margosa tree which gave a fragrant smell on Thursday morning.
“Mata kiyapu hatiyata nam, eka issellama lebune dosthralatai, ispirithale anek ayatai, hamudawatai, policeyatai thava navika hamudawe ayatai ne (I am told the first people to get it are doctors and other hospital staff and the army, navy and police),” noted Kussi Amma Sera. “Mama hithanne, ennatha eelangata lebenne wayasaka kattatiyata kiyala (I think older people will be the next to get the vaccine),” added Mabel Rasthiyadu.
By the way what are the vaccines that have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO)? The UN health body has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use and is reviewing the vaccines from Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford, China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac, and Russia’s Sputnik V.
My interest in vaccines came after the Business Times (BT) published a report last week saying that the apparel industry was discussing with the government on ways of funding the vaccine for garments workers on a priority basis.
As I dwelt on these issues, the phone rang. It was ‘Shifty” Silva, the always-inquisitive IT expert calling. “Hi Shifty, long time no see? I haven’t heard from you for a long. What’s going on?” I asked in a pleasant tone. “Oh well I have been working from home, occasionally going to the office. I called to check on vaccines,” he said. “What do you want to know?” I asked.
“Are there side effects from the vaccines? I saw some reports that those inoculated had fever, pain and some cramps,” he said. “Some side effects are possible but I don’t think we need to worry too much about it as vaccines generally trigger these symptoms. On the positive side, we need to be happy that medical science has developed a counter against COVID-19 in record time and more and more speedy research should make these vaccines more effective,” I said, adding that by the time the vaccine roll out covers a large majority of Sri Lanka’s population sometime in mid to later this year the efficacy of the vaccine – depending on which product – would have improved tremendously.
Thereafter we had a long conversation about Shifty’s work in the IT field and how this sector has progressed despite the COVID-19 impact among other general issues before winding up our conversation.
Coming back to the apparel industry’s call for a special programme covering garment workers, the BT report quoted Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) General Secretary Tuli Cooray as saying that the industry was discussing with the government that it was willing to pay for the vaccines imported by the government for its workers which will reduce the financial burden on the state.
Under the country’s free health scheme, the government is obliged to provide the vaccine free to the entire population but if the apparel industry is willing to pick up the cost of the jab for its workers numbering over 300,000, it would help a long way in easing the financial burden on the government which has been struggling to make ends meet with tax revenue coming down, exports down and health costs rising to manage the pandemic.
Similar views were echoed by JAAF Chairman A. Sukumaran. In another news report, he was quoted as saying that the Government should “prioritise importing COVID-19 vaccines to support not just the apparel industry but all export sectors”. “It was essential for all export companies to prioritise immunising their employees as they were integral to the wellbeing of the country’s economy,” he said, according to the report.
Apparel export values fell by 21 per cent to US$4 billion in 2020 from $5.6 billion in 2019 due to the impact of the pandemic, according to official figures.
Total merchandise export earnings for January to December 2020 – made up of mainly apparel, tea, and rubber-based and coconut-based products – were nearly $10 billion, down from $12 billion in 2019. Earnings from services’ exports including ICT/BPM, construction, financial services and transport and logistics were $3 billion compared to $4 billion in 2019.
The Association of Private Hospitals has also requested the government to bring them in to help in the vaccine roll out. At the moment, the available vaccines are only allowed to be imported by government from the producing countries while no private sector engagement has been allowed so far. Sri Lankan officials also said the importation of these vaccines is subject to ‘vaccine diplomacy’ and ‘vaccine nationalism’ which implies that rich countries and those ‘close’ to the producing countries would be allowed to jump the queue for these medications while others would have to wait in line.
As of now Sri Lanka is not everyone’s favourite in the western world just as the country’s human rights record comes under scrutiny at the UN human rights sessions in Geneva while the Chinese and Soviet vaccines would be the only ones given to Sri Lanka without any fuss, though their efficacy and capability has not been endorsed by the WHO as yet.
The COVID-19 vaccination programme which is under the purview of seasoned retired public servant Lalith Weeratunga needs to consider discussing with the chambers of commerce and the private sector on how best the private sector could be engaged in rolling out the vaccine to the entire workforce – of course through the health authorities’ network – and what financial contribution could be met by the private sector – particularly the export sector which is a lifeline for the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
As I watched Mabel Rasthiyadu and Serapina leave the garden, Kussi Amma Sera walked into the office room with my second mug of tea for the day, saying “COVID-19 den ape jeewithaya wage wela (COVID-19 is now our life)”. I nodded my head in agreement realising that the pandemic would become a way of life at least for the next 18 months.