Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says that the government should immediately set up a committee consisting of specialist doctors to crack down on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Issuing a statement, the United National Party (UNP) leader Wickremesinghe pointed out that the pandemic is spreading widely and that many fall victim to the virus daily. He added that there are issues with statistics as well.

The former Prime Minister says that it is not acceptable for the Army to administer the vaccine unless it was done under the Ministry of Health.

Wickremesinghe further said that the vaccination should be given to all citizens over 12 years of age.

He says that despite lives were spared due to the medical and health sector the government currently refuses to listen to their advice.

The government should explain the reasons behind the rejection of doctors’ requests to lockdown the country, the former Premier said.

He said, “There should be a separate committee of experts under the WHO. There is no such committee only in Sri Lanka today. There is such a committee in every other country. The government should immediately bring together medical experts and set up this committee.”