10 July

UNION Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye, in his capacity as Secretary of the National Volunteers Steering Unit, held a virtual meeting with the Red Cross Society members, volunteers, and charity workers in Ayeyawady Region, Nothern Shan state, Yangon Region, Kayah State and Kachin State, discussing their experiences and requirements for the fishting against the COVID-19.

During the discussion, the Union Minister said that the country was proud to see that the people participated energetically in carrying out the voluntny works through the COVID-19 period and as those works were acknowledged; although he wanted to give the chest badges and certificates of honour individually in person, due to the condition, he could only go and give them to the respective officials in the States and Regions; that he wanted the volunteers and hilanthropic organizations who participated in the COVID-19 prevention, containment and treatment processes to discuss their experiences and that it was an advantage by a new way to discuss with all the volunteers from the respective places in a short time. 

Afterwards, the volunteers and members of Red Cross Society and organizations from the regions and states discussed as per township; they stated that there was a shortage of funds to arrange foods for quarantine facilities as the time goes by, the need of surgical gown, glove and mask in welcoming and delivering the people repatriated from abroad to quarantine centres , connecting the repatriated people who came from non-official crossings with the responsible officials, the wish for careful supervision of the border crossings not to let people come illegally, difficulties in welcoming the repatriated people at the Central Railway Station and at “0-Mile” of the Expressway, the concern about repatriated people being mixed with the normal travellers at the railway station although they were arranged to go in separated carriage, the need for fuel and travel allowance for welcoming the repatriated people in respective townships, that the people are not taking much attention to social distancing and wearing mask anymore, educating and spraying disinfectant, the plan to do washing hand campaign and mask campaign since the school would reopen soon, that they were coordinating with the responsible persons to reduce the anxieties of the students and the parents, as the teacher would need not only to teach but also to do prevention in schools, they wanted providing educational assistant groups as per the township and to carry out the giving certificates of honour to those who had not yet received.

Moreover, the volunteers and charity workers from the places which have natural disasters every year said mentioned that they wanted providing life jackets , life boats and multi-purpose buildings and to conduct the prevention process of COVID-19 if the disaster occurred.

The Union Minister said that they would support which could be done directly as fast as they could and for the negotiation with the respective departments would also be negotiated; to send the list of the people who had not received yet the certificates of honour; that he would let the responsible officials to go and do field research regarding with the prevention of natural disaster in respective townships; that the discussions and suggestions were very useful and he urged them to keep cooperating as the COVID-19 period had not over yet.

MNA (Translated by Ei Phyu Phyu Aung)