Vaccine request letter to Namal raises many an eyebrow
Amid accusations that the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive was way behind in certain districts, a copy of a letter allegedly sent by Puttalam District MP and State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and M a rke t D i ve r s i f i c a t i o n Priyankara Jayaratne requesting 100, 000 vaccines for his district started circulating on social media this week.
The matter elicited much comment because, despite there being three different ministers handling the health sector and various other senior officials, State Minister Jayaratne’s letter asking for vaccines for his district had been addressed to Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa.
Many wondered why a letter requesting for vaccines had been addressed to the Minister of Sports.
Minister Jayaratne confirmed the letter was authentic, but claimed he had sent it to the Sports Minister because at a meeting held at Temple Trees, MPs had been told to direct any issues related to vaccination in their districts to Minister Namal Rajapaksa. “This was reported in the media too. If we have been told to direct such matters to him, what’s wrong with sending the letter? I copied it to the Army Commander as well.”
Mr Jayaratne’s letter came after a widely publicised protest using mannequins was held at Mahawewa town accusing the district’s politicians of not doing enough to obtain vaccines for those in the Puttalam district.