The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has written to Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardana highlighting several issues of sharing data and surveillance in COVID -19 control measures.
The GMOA in a letter to health authorities on Monday said that surveillance depends on PCR testing capacity, timing of reporting / issuing PCR reports, accuracy and efficiency of data collection, and GPS mapping of COVID -19 cases and contacts.
“We have been continually emphasising the importance of surveillance in controlling COVID -19 since the first wave in March. The process depends on various institutions acting together, of which the ultimate responsibility lies with the Epidemiology Unit,” the GMOA said adding that it was disappointed over the sub optimal and delayed surveillance and the failure to properly share data pertaining to the Colombo District. The GMOA, however, commended the move to establish a “National Surveillance Mechanism,” to streamline the process.
