Prepare priority lists for to administer vaccine: Labour Minister

Minister of Labor Nimal Siripala de Silva states that in the future, it is appropriate to prepare priority lists after taking into account the standards and criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) in administering the Covid-19 vaccine to the people of Sri Lanka.

The Minister stated that the vaccine can be given to workplaces and factories in accordance with the criteria of the World Health Organization. 

Further, the Minister pointed out that the Resident Representative of the World Health Organization in Sri Lanka, Dr. Razia Pendse called on the Minister at the Ministry of Labor with regard to the plan to administering the vaccine.

Dr. Pendse, the World Health Organization's Representative, said that she would like to extend her full support to the program to vaccinate the people of this country and to ensure that the manufacturing process at the workplaces do not collapse. She added that the vaccine to be given through the country's well-established health care network.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said that the regulations have made it mandatory to set up health committees in every workplace to monitor the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus at the workplace and to provide relief to those who are infected with Covid-19. 

The Minister also instructed that trade union representatives and labour officials should follow up to ensure that the relevant activities are carried out in the workplace accordingly.

Minister de Silva also appreciated the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to distribute the vaccine free of charge, especially to low-income communities. He also assured the full support of the Ministry of Labor, the Department of Labor, the Employers' Federation and the trade unions in their efforts to provide the vaccine to labourers.