Sri Lanka government has designed a system of public field officials to monitor the home quarantine.
So far, the home quarantine was monitored and administered by Public Health Inspectors and the police. People who undergo quarantine lack official support unless the neighbours help them. Previously, the society was afraid of the epidemic and the persons who were under home quarantine had to face harassment in some instances. However, now home quarantine is common and over 100,000 persons are undergoing it at the moment.
The government has mobilised village-level field officers including Grama Niladhari, Samurdhi Development Officers, Agro Research and Production Officers, Economic Development Officers, Family Health Officers, Public Health Inspectors and police in the village level committees to monitor the home quarantine.
They will have to monitor home quarantine on a roaster basis, according to the government circular and attend to privacy, security and issues like special requirements of elders and persons with disabilities.
A mentally-handicapped person committed suicide a few weeks ago when he was isolated in the house after his caretaker mother was taken to the hospital because of COVID-19. Public Health Inspectors were blamed for not caring for the requirements of the mentally handicapped person but the officials said they had been overloaded with work.
The suicide of this mentally-handicapped person in Kahathuduwa and some of the deaths at home could be saved if such a mechanism was available.
