{"id":761,"date":"2020-04-14T11:36:34","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T11:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=761"},"modified":"2022-02-21T10:05:24","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T10:05:24","slug":"fact-check-statement-made-by-who-dg-shared-out-of-context","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/fact-check-statement-made-by-who-dg-shared-out-of-context\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO Director General\u2019s Old Statement on SL Health Services shared out of context; Read the truth here\u2026."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Covid-19 patients were being detected from different regions of Sri Lanka towards end of March 2020, health officials urged the government to take firm action to combat the spread of the virus. The government acted swiftly by addressing infrastructure issues as well as safety and medical equipment requirements to minimize the spread of the pandemic on the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this background, a post appeared on a Facebook page of one Rajini Sulochana Segera titled \u201cLanka\u2019s health service among the world\u2019s best\u201d with an image of the Director General of World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Ghereyesus. Following text was superimposed under the image of Dr. Tedros. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSri Lanka\u2019s health service is one of the best not only in Asia but in the world, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Dr. Ghebreyesus had stated that the reason behind the high quality of Sri Lanka\u2019s health service is because it is freely available. Sri Lanka\u2019s political leadership gives a clear guidance to the Sri Lankan Health Service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post has been shared among many Facebook users and the responses received suggested that Dr. Tedros Ghereyesus\u2019s statement does not attribute to the current pandemic situation. Hence we decided to carry out a fact check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We carried out a google search<\/a> to locate news reports on WHO Director General lauding the health service of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two reports of the English daily, \u201cDaily News\u201d drew our attention. Below is an extract from the first report published on 10th<\/sup> April 2018 titled \u201cLanka’s health service among world’s best – WHO Director General\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSri Lanka\u2019s health service is one of the best not only in Asia but in the world, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ghebreyesus had stated that the reason behind the high quality of Sri Lanka\u2019s health service is because it is freely available. Sri Lanka\u2019s political leadership gives a clear guidance to the Sri Lankan Health Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WHO Director-General was addressing the World Health Day celebration in Colombo recently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Daily News epaper<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Upon further investigation into World health Organization website, we managed to locate the speech of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made on 7th<\/sup> April 2018 on the 70th<\/sup> Anniversary of WHO held in Colombo.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

We studied the second report published on 1st<\/sup> April 2020 in the Daily News titled \u201cIn telephone call with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa WHO Chief lauds Sri Lanka\u2019s COVID-19 response\u201d it reported that \u201cWorld Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised the Sri Lankan Government\u2019s response to the COVID-19 outbreak<\/strong> in a telephone call with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and a subsequent Twitter post.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

We searched the Twitter account of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and came across the following Tweet on 1st<\/sup> April 2020, where he had thanked Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for mobilizing the whole-of-government in the fight against the Coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

However to ascertain that Director General of WHO , Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had not made a remark about the Sri Lanka\u2019s health system with regards to current pandemic situation, we contacted WHO Sri Lanka and got the confirmation that the statements were based on comments made by the DG of WHO in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence it\u2019s clear that, although Director General of WHO, lauded the Sri Lankan health services while celebrating the 70th<\/sup> anniversary of WHO in 2018, it was not in context to the current pandemic situation due to COVID-19. However, recently Dr. Tedros commended Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s efforts for mobilizing the whole-of-government in the fight against the Coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence we conclude that the posts created with the impression that WHO DG Dr. Tedros lauded Sri Lankan health services and exclaimed \u201cSri Lanka\u2019s health service among the world\u2019s best\u201d in relation to current COVID19 situation is misleading as it is an old statement made in a completely different context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t