6 Recommendations from Sri Lanka Medical Association for containing current Covid outbreak

Recommendations of Sri Lanka Medical Association and Inter Collegiate Committee representing all medical professional colleges and associations for containing current COVID 19 outbreak.

1. General considerations

Ø Strengthen the Epidemiology Unit by providing more human resources, expertise and funding.

Ø Epidemiological Predicting, Forecasting and Mapping to plan preventive and management strategies.

Ø Revise the patient admission and discharge criteria considering limited resources available

Ø Optimal and rational use of Information Technology for contact tracing and surveillance.

2. Management of patients

Ø All PCR positive cases have to be institutionalized, but not necessarily at hospitals. Large halls or dormitories with good ventilation can be converted as isolation centres. This will reduce the burden on the healthcare system and the hospitals.

Ø National level hospitals should be reserved for maintaining tertiary care

3. Restriction of mobility

Ø In all the affected areas, mobility needs to be restricted while maintaining essential economic and service activities. All regulations in recent gazette must be strictly applied.

Ø It may be necessary to completely isolate affected economic centres such as FTZs and ports of entry while maintaining economic process, supply chains and essential services.

4. Ensuring coordination

Ø Cooperation between directorates, advisory bodies, expert groups within the Ministry, with security forces, task force, and professional bodies

5. Quarantine Process

Ø Health sector must have the key decision-making power regarding the quarantine process.

Ø Health professionals should base the decisions on a risk assessment process.

6. Enduring trust and confidence of the general public

Ø There is a need to strictly enforce guidelines for media reporting on COVID-19. Stigmatization and Criminalization must be avoided

Maintain supply chains and provision of essential services.