Coordination Meeting: SAC Chairman Addressed The Meeting

Priority must be given to health staff who were infected by COVID-19 discharging duty on frontline in giving treatments to confirmed patients at hospitals and centers by looking after them as a special matter, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the 8th coordination meeting for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 at Bayintnaung Villa in Nay Pyi Taw, Monday afternoon.

In his opening speech, the Senior General said that he has pointed out at the previous meetings to ensure a half down of infection rate in the third wave of COVID-19 in August. The infection rate hit 33.17 per cent on 14 July and 40.82 per cent on 23 July, in comparison with 26.46 per cent on 15 August.

The infection rate could be decreased to more than 14 per cent thanks to concerted efforts of the government officials, health staff, social organizations and volunteers. Those who make attempts to hike the prices of basic household medicines and medical equipment with unusual storage are being exposed for declining the irregularly high prices and action will be taken against them.

Such move aims to enable the people to consume the basic household medicines at regular prices. Region and state authorities need to scrutinize high prices of basic foodstuffs as Myanmar produces foodstuffs. Prices should not be terribly high. COVID-19 vaccines must be stored systematically for avoiding damage.

As EAOs contact the authorities to give vaccination in their regions, officials need to compile the data on target groups set by the Ministry of Health. District and township officials need to maintain the school buildings for convenient learning of students when the schools are opened with controlling of infection rate to some extent. Priority must be given to teachers who would closely teach the students.

Although restrictions have been removed for import of vaccines and medicines, relevant departments need to supervise import of medicines in conformity with the rules of FDA.

The Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister and meeting participants discussed enhancement of immunity of the health staff, volunteers and sanitation workers, deployment of health staff and volunteers for providing health care services to patients at quarantine centres and positive patient centres, and raising health awareness in regions and states where infection rates are high.

Their discussions focused on infection rate and death rate in global countries, infection rate of Myanmar with 210,961 patients and death rate with 10,048 till today, decline of 36 per cent infection rate in comparing the that of the second week of July and the second week of August, remarkable decrease of infection rate in Yangon Region to 74 per cent, Bago Region 62 per cent, Sagaing Region 53 per cent, and Kayin state and Ayeyawady Region 40 per cent.

They explained that contact is being created to receive one million units of vaccine from China in coming week, and efforts of ministries to purchase 24 more million units of vaccines through agreements. They also explained prevention for infection of variant viruses, vaccination at IDP camps, meetings to take vaccines through cooperation with ASEAN countries and research to produce COVID-19 vaccines through traditional medicines.

The clarification highlighted raising awareness of health for the disease via State-owned TV channels, radios, newspapers and media, further production of oxygen to meet the demand, inspection of medical depots not to increase prices of medicines, and return of Myanmar foreign returnees.

They also discussed running of relief flights to transport passengers and medicines, operation of flights, watercraft and road transport not to halt transportation services, and production of medicines by State-owned and private pharmaceutical factories. The Senior General gave necessary instructions.

Later, the Senior General urged all to strive for production of masks, face shields, PPE suits and gloves at home for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19. Myanmar citizens arriving in foreign countries are re-accepted through various ways and means. Efforts must be made for regularizing the work process without cutting off the momentum, and treatment must be given to those returnees as much as possible.