The Ministry of Health and Sports yesterday morning organized a virtual meeting with volunteer groups, social organizations and civil society organizations involved in COVID-19 response efforts. During the virtual meeting, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe highlighted significant roles of enthusiastic volunteers in COVID-19 response efforts.
The Union Minister said that many organizations are helping the ministry control the spread of the COVID-19 disease in Yangon Region, and a tripartite group comprising of the Ministry of Health and Sports, the Yangon Region government and the General Administration Department should be formed in order to make COVID-19 response efforts effective. The Union Minister said that the ministry is striving to get and provide accurate and up-to-date information so that efficient decisions can be made rapidly in trying to control the pandemic.
He said that the COVID-19 pandemic could affect not only the health sector but also the social sector, economy and education, so people need to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive guidelines strictly. He called on social organizations to constantly review their works in order to make their efforts as effective as possible. He also urged the organizations involved in the COVID-19 response efforts to submit their activity reports to the ministry so that it can publish a book. During the virtual meeting, the participants discussed various topics such as volunteer works at quarantine centres, COVID-19 treatment centres and hospitals; installation of oxygen systems in Yangon General Hospital; donating food and other necessary things to the centres and the hospitals, and COVID-19 surveillance at highway bus stations.
Deputy Minister Dr Mya Lay Sein said that the ministry would provide more N95-masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) to volunteers. She added that the ministry is providing COVID-19 tests for volunteers by using Rapid Antigen Test Kits.
Permanent Secretary Dr Thet Khaing Win said that the ministry will take care of the matters that it can do and will submit the issues that the ministry cannot do to the National-Level Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Union Minister said that the support given by the charity organizations would benefit not only COVID-19 treatment but also long-term healthcare systems. The Union Minister concluded that the ministry will coordinate with relevant organizations in order to regularly hold virtual meetings with volunteers, social organizations and charity organizations.—MNA
(Translated by Maung Maung Swe)
