Navin Ramgoolam and Xavier Luc Duval are both voicing out on the alarming Covid 19 contamination. Both, through their respective social networks, are denouncing the arrogance of the Government despite its mismanagement in this pandemic crisis that is infecting the population rapidly and killing mercilessly. The leader of the opposition is calling for social confinement, while the leader of PTR is calling for general containment. On the other hand, they both call for the resignation of the health minister and the de-politicisation of the High-Level Committee.
Opposition calls for social lockdown
“Enough is enough“, XLD’s striking words when talking about the government’s management. “Urgent social containment measures must be introduced while our hospitals prepare for the Delta virus… this is what all responsible governments around the world are doing,” he said. Explaining, he recalls “the lack of oxygen, the exhaustion of our valiant medical corps, the unavailability of essential medicines and poorly effective vaccines, Mauritius is unfortunately at the top of the league table in terms of Covid deaths per capita… And all this for a few thousand tourists and the opening of the borders without precautions and planning“. This is clear, big changes are to be made, although for the time being “we will have to learn to live with the virus, but no way under these actual conditions “, he says on his networks.
PTR: Dissolution of the High Level Committee and Lockdown!
An alarmed and disgusted Navin Ramgoolam exclaims on his networks about the situation of Covid 19 which is still gaining ground: “There is an emergency. The government must wake up instead of congratulating itself“, denouncing the arrogance of the government and Minister Jagutpal in their public explanations. He even judged them to be manipulating the data and statistics published by the GIS, which do not correspond to the rate of positive tests and deaths recorded daily. “The Minister of Health has become a patent liar and we cannot trust the figures he provides,” he said. For the former PM, it would take a miracle to get the country out of this situation with this management team, including the High Level Committee, which, according to him, should be “sacked“! He denounced the laxity of the High Level Committee referring to the request for an official demand of oxygen iso-tanks, respirators and the request for training of ENT staff by a specialist in resuscitation and a nurse attached to these delicate services, whereas this lack had been reported for a long time. He explains his concerns: “It is only now that we are asking for help. It’s also now that Health is calling for an audit of hospital practices? So, what is the protocol of care in our hospitals that have become sources of infection where people sent there to be treated are dying? This is criminal negligence,” said Dr Ramgoolam. He believes that it is urgent to “de-politicise the High Level Committee, which should be dissolved, and that competent people should take over“. As for the contamination situation, the PTr Leader is calling for a full lockdown to contain the contamination, favouring Work From Home and thus reducing travel by public transport. “We cannot ask people to take precautions but allow them to travel in 60-seater buses or allow gatherings, weddings and others of 50 people,” he says. Dr Ramgoolam also suggests converting hospitals such as the Bruno Cheong Hospital in Flacq into a centre totally dedicated to Covid care and of course, a modicum of humility and asking for help from countries with which we share bilateral relations, “it would not be too much to ask for help from India’s AIIMS” he says.
Better management of the pandemic situation is certainly urgent. The two opposition political leaders have proposed and it is all up to the Government to approve.
