A surge in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) may trigger a double-disaster in Sri Lanka in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Contingency Intelligence & Response Agency (CIRA), a think-tank steering an overarching disaster prevention, mitigation and management mechanism in the SAARC region. While the corona virus pandemic has turned the country’s health system on its head, the chief contributor may just be that patients with underlying illness are reluctant to come to hospitals or are not able to do so due to ripple effects of the pandemic.

A surge in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) may trigger a double-disaster in Sri Lanka in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Contingency Intelligence & Response Agency (CIRA), a think-tank steering an overarching disaster prevention, mitigation and management mechanism in the SAARC region. While the corona virus pandemic has turned the country’s health system on its head, the chief contributor may just be that patients with underlying illness are reluctant to come to hospitals or are not able to do so due to ripple effects of the pandemic.

A surge in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) may trigger a double-disaster in Sri Lanka in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Contingency Intelligence & Response Agency (CIRA), a think-tank steering an overarching disaster prevention, mitigation and management mechanism in the SAARC region. While the corona virus pandemic has turned the country’s health system on its head, the chief contributor may just be that patients with underlying illness are reluctant to come to hospitals or are not able to do so due to ripple effects of the pandemic.

A surge in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) may trigger a double-disaster in Sri Lanka in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, says Contingency Intelligence & Response Agency (CIRA), a think-tank steering an overarching disaster prevention, mitigation and management mechanism in the SAARC region. While the corona virus pandemic has turned the country’s health system on its head, the chief contributor may just be that patients with underlying illness are reluctant to come to hospitals or are not able to do so due to ripple effects of the pandemic.

Social distancing may be here to stay for a longer period. Therefore, mechanisms should be perused in setting up a new culture of ‘working from home’ (WFH) wherever possible. Limited number of essential employees needed in the office physically needs to be identified while all others requiring to work from home under proper supervision and reporting

The current global crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic must be considered a historic opening to overhaul the country, leveraging on rare opportunity opening up on multiple fronts says Contingency Intelligence & Response Agency (CIRA).