By Aung Shinn

THE guileful nature of COVID-19’s third wave is now apparently at its peak. The world is also facing high rate of infection and death. Since the mid of July, the death rate of the pandemic has increased to 30 per cent and the average death rate of COVID-19 in Indonesia is reportedly around 1,300 per day. The primary reason of having high rate of infection and death is found out to be the new variants of virus. The neighbours and regional countries are also being severely impacted by the new variants of virus.

In Myanmar, the COVID-19’s third wave started to strike the country in the final week of May 2021. As we all know, Myanmar is now in the time of facing political unrests, and sabotages of anti-government activists. Against the backdrop of this situation along with facing the guileful mutation of virus variant, the efforts to repel the third wave and prevention, containment and treatment activities are seemly more being intensified than of first and second waves.

There are many facts in the COVID-19’s third wave which are different from the first and second waves. The distinct ones are the nature of mutations in the virus, the weak of health awareness in public, the risks of saboteurs, the weak measures of previous government and the effective responses of the current administration.

The nature of the virus and the third wave

The medical experts have repeatedly explained about the nature of the new variants of the virus till there is no more to find out. The certain thing is that the new variant of virus with high infection and death rate does not break out only in Myanmar. By comparism with other regional countries, Myanmar can be found out to be not even in the list of countries with very high infection rate and fatalities according to the statistics. Nevertheless, comparing with the COVID-19’s first and second waves occurred in the State, the third wave is undoubtedly more infectious in a short time with higher rate of death. Particularly, the ones with serious health problems, elders and the people who have not vaccinated become the most vulnerable ones. Due to the guileful nature of the new variant of virus such as the asymptomatic virus transmission, and the multiple infection rate, the situations come to this end.

According to the recent findings of some medical experts, the reasons of high infection and death rate in a short time during the COVID-19’s third wave in Myanmar are as follows:

The weak COVID-19 containment and treatment measures and protective equipment prepared in the first and second waves. = The rallies of hundreds of thousands of people without COVID-19 protective gears took place in the second wave of January and February 2021.

The beginning of COVID-19’s third wave with the highly-infected virus variant coincided with the time of people unaware of the health risks and the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) campaign weakening the related healthcare activities.

For the reasons mentioned above, the people are facing difficulties in the time of the wave in gaining momentum.

The risks of saboteurs

Moreover, it can be observed that the consequences of the CDM campaign of health community and the incitements of saboteurs not to take part in the vaccination process, and closures of the COVID-19 treatment centres considerably accelerated the COVID-19’s third wave in a short time. Despite their intentions to disrupt the administrative mechanism of the State Administration Council, the outcome is deadly to the public.

The risk of COVID-19 can impact on all national people regardless of social classes and political colours. However, certain anti-government activists are harassing the current COVID-19 control, prevention and treatment activities using political scandals in order to attack the incumbent government. It is totally unthinkable why they are doing such nefarious and cunning acts. It is obvious that the State Administration Council is now simultaneously taking the law enforcement measures for community peace and stability as well as the task of repelling the COVID-19 pandemic. The destructive acts of the inhumane and unsympathetic saboteurs for their political gain by using the COVID-19’s third wave are totally unacceptable.

The root cause of occurring such unwanted phenomena in such critical time is due to the reckless acts of previous administration or the NLD party. They premediated to secure the election victory using the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic at its peak as well as doing obvious voting riggings to ensure forming the government by a single party. Political observers remarked that the political unrests occurred due to the NLD-led government and the party which ignored the peaceful means of solving the problem via dialogue on table in line with law. Moreover, it is also seen that they also dragged the people on the path of utter devastation by spreading wrong ideologies and misinformation among people. Such moves are advantageous to no one. It is appearing that they used the second wave of COVID-19 for ensuring their election victory and also the third wave for regaining their power. At least, they should consider the interests of people.

Recommendations of medical experts

The experts suggested to assume the confronting the COVID-19 pandemic as a world war trying to defeat the invading enemy of virus. The world experts have warned the countries to make necessary preparations for waging the war since April 2020 which include the following six points:

(1) Maintain essential capabilities.

(2) Develop global and local surveillance networks.

(3) Build and maintain a network of alliances

(4) Build emergency response capacity

(5) Forward-deployed personnel and weaponry.

(6) Invest in the defensive weapons of the future.

Failures of NLD-led government

Reviewing the above-mentioned points, the NLD government was supposed to make necessary preparations since the beginning of the pandemic by formulating a strategy. However, everyone who properly review the ground truth will see the answer whether the previous administration actually took appropriate measures for above points or not. Nevertheless, the NLD government totally ignore the risks and minded only to grab the State power for the next term. It is amazed to found out that the responsible person of NLD information U Aung Shin from Monywa town said in an interview with Akonthi media that ‘the COVID-19 pandemic was quite advantageous to the victory of NLD party in the election’.

Although Daw Aung San Su Kyi who led the previous government modelled in washing her hands, as an attempt of party election campaign using social network and government-run medias, in reality, she did not lay down or implement any effective strategies and tactics for COVID-19 control, prevention and treatment measures. The Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htway of previous administration said to public, ‘you might even fall ill with astonishment if you see the preparations for COVID-19’. However, there was no preparation in reality except for the contributions of some generous donors. Having said that, it is not to blame on the previous administration led by NLD party but only to point out the root causes of the ground conditions.

If we look the current emergency requirements of oxygen, the failure of NLD government to make necessary preparations would become obvious. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, a government had to anticipate the potential infections and calculate the possible requirement of oxygen that would meet the needs of people. Hence, necessary preparations will be required to build or reserve oxygen plants as well as to formulate plans for preparing necessary hospitals, clinics, quarantine centres. In spite of that, besides having neither prepared plans nor actions, it was sadly to see that the infrastructures and measures for COVID-19 prevention came to the end along with the CDM campaigns when they have no more power.

The vivid point is that the previous NLD-led government used the pandemic as a tool for their political gain without having any long-term anticipation and preparation. Besides the failure to reinforce the health workers and making necessary preparations, they even instigated the health workers to participate in the utter devastation in the name of CDM, and not to go work places breaching their medical ethics and civil service personnel laws, rules and regulations in the mid of the pandemic. Quite apart from fulfilling the above-mentioned six important points stressed by the experts, the existing preventive measures were also destroyed. The medical doctors and health workers are the virtuous professional jobs providing healthcare services to people regardless of friend or foe even in the wars. It seemed NLD intentionally chose the path to the plights of people. We can see now the State Administration Council is simultaneously taking the responsibilities of restoring the community peace and stability, and repelling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency responses to the pandemic by the State Administration Council

Despite the absence of preparations by the previous NLD-led government, insufficient number of health workers, all-round challenges of political, economic and security, we can see the State Administration Council is devoting utmost efforts to control the COVID-19’s third wave in a short time.

In a month of July, the Coordination Meeting on COVID-19 Control, Prevention and Treatment chaired by the State Administration Council chairman was held for five times. Observing the meetings, the required policies are promptly made to speed up the pandemic control, prevention and treatment activities as well as the policy to cooperate with the international community has already been adopted and implemented.

Regarding the policies, they are practical and made by reviewing the ground conditions putting the townships necessary for pandemic prevention under Stay-at-Home programmes, issuing instructions and orders in timely manner, purchasing vaccines promptly from China and Russia due to the delays from India, conducting continuous COVID-19 awareness programmes, and coordinating and cooperating with social volunteer groups in preventive measures.

For the sector of pandemic prevention and treatment, effective and efficient policies are being practically implemented such as modifying the quarantine system like other countries; expending the number of quarantine centres, Community-COVID-positive centres and treatment centres at soonest; re-assignments of health staff to meet the ground requirements; appointing staff by contract system; easing the import restrictions to ensure the smooth flow of necessary equipment and medications for the COVID-19 prevention and treatments; taking measures to increase the production capacity of existing oxygen plants and building urgently more plants to fulfil the current oxygen needs; importing oxygen from abroad as a special plan to secure the oxygen sufficiency in COVID-19 treatment hospitals and centres; transporting the required oxygens to remote areas in time. For the entire country, the measures are being taken amid of difficulties. In order to carry out prompt actions depending on the pandemic outbreaks, we can gladly see that the state/region administration councils are joining hands and working together with the respective Commanders of the Military Regional Commands.

Almost all of the quarantine and treatment centres opened in the time of NLD government were already closed down due to the CDM doctors and health workers. Now at the time of the State Administration Council, many necessary infrastructures of treatment centres and quarantine centres, which were once weak in the past, have been expanded and opened in a short time. Tatmadaw have prepared 1,278 places for treating 39,000 COVID-19 patients and the civic administrations have also prepared 1,453 places for 71,500 patients. We can also see daily the efforts to open more Community-COVID-positive centres as necessary.

Particularly, during the third wave of COVID-19, with an intent to distribute the oxygen sufficiently, which is now at high demand, the existing oxygen plants are being repaired to run its full capacity and more new plants are also being built as well. In July, the Government managed to run a total of 144 oxygen plants in respective regions and states which can produce 1,278,970 litres of oxygen and 58 tonnes of liquid oxygen per day.

Regarding the construction of oxygen plants, despite having 119 existing plants, the plants in the public hospital were reportedly not in operation due to the health workers in CDM. When the COVID-19’s third wave surges with the high demand of oxygen in the time of the State Administration Council, necessary measures have been urgently carried out to run the oxygen plants which were not in operation. Moreover, 25 more oxygen plants have also been constructed in respective regions and states. Such measures of adding more oxygen plants, increasing the production capacity of industrial-used oxygen plants and the attempts to run the plants at public hospital into full operation are collectively taken by the integrated efforts of the Tatmadaw, departmental staffs, and generous national people.

Moreover, in order to facilitate import of oxygen-related materials from abroad, the import restrictions of departmental rules and regulations are also eased to certain extent. The private imports and purchase of oxygen-related equipment and items have been permitted in timely manner. In this regard, the daily news says, from February to the end of July, 32,072 oxygen cylinders (various sizes), 10,190 tonnes of liquid oxygen, 113,705 oxygen concentrators, 13 oxygen plants, 26,735 oxygen regulators, and 46 oxygen generators have been imported from abroad. Likewise, we can also see the contributions of generous donors are very gratifying.

In order to meet the oxygen requirements, the Government is intensifying the home production capacities, and the Tatmadaw and generous national people are heartily donating oxygen and treatment equipment as well.

From 1 July to 2 August, Tatmadaw personnel from respective Military Regional Command donated 7,170 oxygen tanks, 374,032 face masks, 2,020 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), other protective equipment, medications, fuel for vehicles, nutrition foods and donation cash to public hospitals, military hospitals, COVID centres, township health departments and civil philanthropic associations in respective regions and states. Likewise, generous national people from respective regions and states also heartily donated a total of 2,430 oxygen tanks, other protective items and donation cash. The collective efforts of the people are tremendous and delightful. As a common citizen, I have a considerate sentiment towards the SAC government making its all-out efforts to resolve the crisis resulted by the weak preparations of the previous government at the critical times of surging infection rate and low international support.

To sum up, during the first and second waves of COVID-19, people were highly aware of the pandemic, the infection rate was not high due to the nature of virus and also there were no saboteurs. However, at the current third wave, there are only minus signs of the said facts and the failures of the NLD-led government in necessary preparations are being urgently remedied in the time of the State Administration Council. As a common citizen, I believe that the State Administration Council is exerting its utmost efforts to repel and defeat the third wave of COVID-19 amid the various challenges including domestic/ foreign political instigations and sabotages. I wish and expect that we could properly prepare for the future COVID-19’s waves and other pandemics in accord with the above-mentioned six points suggested by the world experts.

Ref: ‘The next pandemic could be even worse’ by Jamie Metzl, Andrew Hessel and Hansa Bhargava, CNN, 29 April, 2020.

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