SJB seeks answers from Dr. Jasinghe

Several former Parliamentarians, all members of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya are seeking detailed answers regarding Sri Lanka’s fight against COVID-19 from Director of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The ex-parliamentarians are seeking answers for actions taken by the Health Service to fight the spread of the Corona virus in the country, through a Right to Information Application addressed to Dr. Jasinghe on May 6, 2020.

The sixteen questions sent to Dr. Jasinghe are:

1. The number of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests carried out to identify those infected by the Corona virus.
2. The number of those identified as infected.
3. Where and when these tests were carried out.
4. The number of PCR tests conducted at quarantine centres and the number of positive cases identified at those centres.
5. The number of tests carried out at the President’s House and the dates on which those tests were done. They have requested that the dates and numbers are listed separately.
6. The number of tests carried out at Temple Trees and dates when the tests were done. Dates and numbers to be provided separately.
7. Number of tests carried out at other VIP households and the dates on which they were done.
8. Dates and places where random PCR testing has been carried out.
9. The number of PCR kits that have been received. The dates on which the kits were received.
10. How were the PCR kits used?
11. How many of those kits are still available?
12. Where were the kits received from? On which dates and where were they distributed to?
13. The number of Anti-body testing that has been carried out.
14. The number of deaths that have occurred due to the Corona virus.
15. The number of bodies that have been cremated under the quarantine Act, but had not tested positive for the virus.
16. If any deaths have taken place at quarantine centres, the name of the centre and the number of such deaths.

The Right to Information Act was enacted as a Law in Sri Lanka on August 4, 2016.

Accordingly, the Act requires that the applicant must receive a response on whether or not the requested information will be provided as “expeditiously as possible and in any case within the 14 days.”