11th coordination meeting on COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment held; SAC Chairman Prime Minister of the State Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers address
Nay Pyi Taw September 6
The 11th coordination meeting on COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment was held at the meeting hall of the Bayintnaung Villa in Nay Pyi Taw this morning with an address by State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were SAC members, the SAC joint secretary, Union ministers, deputy ministers, senior military officers of the Office of the Commanderin- Chief (Army) and officials.
Chief ministers of regions and states and officials participated in the meeting through Video Conferencing. In his keynote speech, the Senior General said Central Committee for COVID-19 Prevention, Control and Treatment was set up in July when the third wave began and since then meetings have been held and effective and serious action has been taken. So, positive cases have dropped to a certain degree. But a lot of work still remains. Till 5 September, there were over 221 million positive cases and about 4.6 million deaths worldwide. The US has the highest infection rate with over 40 million confirmed cases, followed by India with 33 million cases. Indonesia has over 4 million cases and over 136,000 fatality cases which is the highest in ASEAN, followed by Philippines with over 2 million confirmed cases and 34,000 deaths. Myanmar stood at the sixth place with over 3.7 million positive cases and about 15,800 fatality cases.
Beginning July, third wave hit the country with high infection rate. But, effective action was launched to reduce the infection rate by half in August. Infection rate stood at 33 percent when 21,352 persons were tested and 7,083 positive cases were detected on 14 July. It rose to 38 percent when 17,235 persons were tested and 6,701 positive cases were detected on 22 July.
In some days infection rate even passed 40 percent. The Central Committee adopted various means, including public vaccination programs, vaccine importation programs, and nationwide distribution programs to control the virus.
Thanks to regions and state governments that enforced COVID-19 rules and the public that rendered cooperation infection rate fell.
The infection rate fell to 10.37 percent in early September indicating a sharp drop. But, infection rate is still high in some regions and states. Test can be conducted on over 30,000 persons daily. Kayah State has the highest infection rate with 193 cases per 100,000, Kachin, second with 96 cases per 100,000, Taninthayi Region, third with 84 cases per 100,000.
Shan State has 81 cases per 100,000, Nay Pyi Taw, 76 cases per 100,000, Bago Region, 72 cases per 100,000. Infection rate is still high in those areas.
So, chief ministers of regions and state should check the figures and should take necessary action.
Although observance of COVID- 19 rules is high in towns, villages are still week in this issue. Hence, MRTV and other broadcasting stations are airing awareness programs also in ethnic languages. Rules enforcement is required in regions and states where infection rates are high. Usually, degree of public awareness wanes in the long-run. Some even fail to wear mask outside their homes.
In some places people strictly observe the rules but in certain places the public awareness of the rules is weak. The government has permitted the production businesses to run in accord with the safety rules. The country will earn income only if it has exports. As regards the food production, farming business has also been permitted in accord with the safety rules. As the government has paid attention to food industry it could control the commodity prices.
But some countries face skyrocketing food prices because of the labour shortages. People will be free from worries for their expenses caused by the virus if the country can produce sufficient food. So, rules enforcement must be strictly conducted from districts to towns and villages in regions and states. Public gatherings are still prohibited. The government issued information for public when third wave began to hit the global countries including neighbours. But infection rate soared as checks could not be conducted well because of some weaknesses.
As regards the repatriation of Myanmar citizens working abroad, the Senior General said, “We have arranged repatriation programs for our people coming back from neighbouring countries. In early last month, we found that there were nationalities who wished to return back home.We decided to take them back home and made home-coming programs.
We don’t want to see our people facing troubles outside the country. We want to live in weal and woe. In fact, the government must provide shade and protection for the people. So, we made a decision to welcome them back. In the past, the repatriation program was banned.
We are welcoming every citizen back now. From China alone, 11,315 persons came back. We have welcomed back 11,315 persons since 5 June. When test was conducted, no positive cases were found among them. From Laos, 2,680 came back, mostly through Tachileik and Kentung. When checked, 123 confirmed cases (8.32 percent) were detected. Atotal of 18,534 came back from Thailand. When checked, 271 cases (1.48 percent) were found.
If they did not return back, the risk they would face was beyond imagination. Some kissed the land and some paid respects when they arrived back the country during the past week. We will repatriate our nationalities at any costs. There are also stranded citizens in Malaysia. When the government is planning a relief flight about two weeks ago, there occurred a fraud case plotted by some Myanmars. Seventeen persons fell victim to it. They were left behind. When the case was reported to me, I assured to bring them back with the government expense.
Virus was found at some ten persons in the medical examination yesterday. These were positive cases. Some of them were in negative cases. So, he said he would return home tomorrow by the earliest flight.
He is our citizen. I urged officials to give treatment to remaining persons. I mean our government does not abandon the citizens residing abroad. It was related to the COVID case.
If they face other problems, they are invited to contact the Myanmar embassies. We will make arrangement without fail. They may come back to home. It doesn’t matter if they make problems. I have kept patience over them. We have such concept for the ethnic affairs.
So, I’d like to urge respective region and state governments to systematically deal with the health issue of ethnic people under the fair management with patience for them similar to their relatives. If we do everything with goodwill, we can achieve success.
The Senior General noted that outbreak of COVID-19 is very long. It is necessary to carry out other tasks of nation-building endeavours. The Senior General stressed the need to effectively undertake prevention, control and treatment activities of COVID-19 so as to carry out peace and stability tasks and construction tasks of the State to be able to reach the level of efficiently controlling the pandemic. If so, the processleading to the vision will be smooth. As such, all are to continue their measures in a systematic manner.
Members of the State Administration Council, Union Ministers, deputy ministers, senior military officers and attendees reported on inspection of COVID- 19 virus in the third wave, findings and declining of infection rate in regions and states, setting the special townships with high infection rate to conduct the laboratory tests, returning of Myanmar citizens to home, performing of systematic medical checkups at border gates and providing necessary treatment for the infected persons, sending the noninfected persons to native lands, allotment of RT-PCR test machines to border gates in order to increase inspection over the returnees, plans to upgrade the ICU at hospitals, conducting of training courses to health staff discharging duty at treatment activities, progress of vaccination to prioritized groups at present, vaccination for setting the target groups comprising those from IDP camps, EAOs, disabled persons and those suffering from other diseases, arrivals of vaccines, more offers to purchase the vaccines, and contacts for further purchase of vaccines.
They also discussed creation of contacts with ASEAN and dialogue partner countries to seek vaccines and medicines for COVID-19 and humanitarian aid, running of relief flights for calling back the citizens and further flight schedules, import and distribution of medicines and machinery related to prevention, control and treatment activities of the disease, arrangements for ensuring swift flow of commodity and cooperation measures, and coordination to scrutinize and deliver the commodities under the recommendations of FDA.
They also presented reports on raising awareness for COVID- 19 through daily newspapers, State-owned TV channels and radio in addition to private TV channels on findings of variant virus of COVID-19, recovered persons, experiences of health staff in interviews, presentation of songs and teleplays, interviews, Anyeint performances and other programmes for the people to ease their tensions during the stay-at-home programme and further plans, broadcasting of prioritized programmes based on demand of the audiences during the COVID- 19 period, raising of awareness for COVID-19 in ethnic language programme and responses of the audiences from the ethnic areas.
They also focused on performing of spot checks in 66 townships in border areas in addition to 119 townships from stayat- home programme, sales of basic foodstuffs by vehicle for the people not to face food difficulties, monitoring and treatment over patients at military hospitals and centres, completion of oxygen plants and some under construction, estimated production from the completed oxygen plants, infection of variant virus in first, second and third waves of COVID-19 across the world, and production of equipment for prevention, control and treatment of COVID- 19, oxygen, disposable needles and other accessories at home.
They further explained conducting of research on daily findings of inspection, finding of virus and date rate in the country, needs of further process, and progress in conducting the research to produce vaccines with the use of traditional medicines.
They clarified production and distribution of medicines from State-owned and private pharmaceutical factories, smooth transport of export and import goods via border gates, reopening of some border gates under the COVID-19 restrictions, efforts to decline the prices of medicines and other medical equipment used by the people, export of marine products during the COVID-19 period, control of infection of virus through export and import goods, and need to vaccinate the fishermen not to suspend the momentum of work process.
In his response to the reports, the Senior General pointed out that it is necessary to conduct systematic research to be able to produce vaccines for COVID- 19 with the use of traditional medicines as COVID-19 will never disappear. The Senior General stressed the need to produce vaccines and medicines for the disease by conducting research on Myanmar herbal plants. The pharmaceutical factories of the State and the Tatmadaw as well as private owned one need to participate in the production of vaccines and medicines. Ministries need to coordinate with each other for production. Depending on the recognition of FDA and success, success of producing the vaccines must be declared to the international community.
Preparations must be made for obtaining the quality raw materials. A single trade gate should not be set for export of marine products, and other gates must be considered to arrange export of products for smooth process. As export process is important, systematic collection of fishermen population to be systematically vaccinated.
In his concluding remark, the Prime Minister of the State elaborated the implementation of disease prevention, control and treatment tasks as a main duty. He said: “It’s a long term task for this disease. We need to consider. The main thing is health. We will live long only if we are healthy. We will be able to work only if we are healthy.
With good health, we will be able to pursue education. For our good health, this disease must be wiped out. Then, we can open job opportunities. We can reopen schools. This Covid is a tremendous challenge to us. It’s a top job. We must focus.
I want to say major businesses in our country must be prioritized. Ministries, region and state governments are urged to work on the Covid prevention, control and treatment as their top responsibility. There are tasks we have to do in variousangles. The Ministry of Health is mainly responsible. Another is the Directorate of Medical Services. These two are in thefront line of this task. We cannot reduce our effort at all. We must provide all necessary facilities.
For example, we must provide medicine, medical equipment as necessary. We must make things easy so health staff canwork conveniently. Necessary management and supply must be provided. Like people, healthcarestaff must be healthy to work. Only then will they be able to deal with that disease.
They will be able to carry out vaccination tasks. This is why I want to say we must pay attention to the necessary measuresso that respective governments, administrative bodies and health organizations can perform their duties well.” He then stressed the need to create a good environment in addition healthy lifestyle for public health. Supervisory measures must be taken for good ventilation and clean environments for homes and offices.
That will contribute to public health. As rural and border regions have little or wrong knowledge about heath, extensive campaigns are necessary.
When it comes to vaccine, the Ministry of Health is administering vaccines and private hospitals and companies are also donating. However, the ministry is mainly shouldering the duty of vaccination. Respective townships need to control measuresto ensure that instructions are precisely followed forsystematic and safe vaccination.
Vaccine potency will be reduced or die down without systematic storage. So systematic storage is required. The Medicine and Medical Equipment Dealers Association is praiseworthy for making sure that basic medicines for home use are available easily and at fair prices. There should not be deaths resulting from lack of affordability to buy medicines.
Measures must be taken for the imported medicines to reach public consumers as quickly as possible without any delay caused by warehouses and office work. It is necessary to facilitate quick import of other necessary medicines for other diseases such cancer and heart disease as well as COVID-19 related medicines. Oxygen can now be produced even for surpluses.
But it must be pure and medical use. Factories must operate constantly. They must always be ready for oxygen for industrial use and hospital use. Oxygen needs must be fulfilled at district and township hospitals. For vaccination, elders and those with underlying health conditions must not be ruled out at all. Some people suffering from inherent diseases fear vaccination and believe false news. So they don’t get vaccinated. They must be motivated and encouraged to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment are most fundamental tasks so systematic measures are necessary. The ability to completely control the outbreak will facilitate economy, education and other businesses.
Restrictions cannot be eased by looking at data only. Infection rate must be really reduced. Therefore, officials from regions and states need to try hard to really reduce infection rate in their own regions, the Prime Minister of the State said.