Šimonytė named who and how could handle the coronavirus crisis: the government could not relax

The Minister of Health is not necessarily a doctor

The politician said on the show that a possible pandemic management plan right now is like applying to a moving target.

“We also speak with the experts, scientists, health professionals that we know and know. (…) It will surely not be the case that when the new Government swears in, if I have to lead it, it begins to explain what to start doing now. The problem is that between now and the time the government swears in there are still about 5 weeks left. And through them, the situation can change drastically, in both directions. This means that the plan needs a principle of moving objective. You have to monitor the entire time how the situation develops and what decisions the current government is making, ”said I. Šimonytė.

I. Šimonytė stated that only the person who has a high level of public trust should occupy the most prominent position of the Minister of Health.

“Because the problem now is that there are already so many conspiracy theories and very often government actions do not contribute to their emergence. For me, the most important thing in this case is that the person is the one who can assure others that the situation is under control. And decisions are made in consultation with experts. And politicians have to take responsibility, “he said.

When asked who should take full responsibility for the coronavirus management crisis, the head of government should take over.

“In my opinion, the responsibility for crisis management should fall on the Prime Minister. Because it is not just a health problem. (…) We are talking here about a situation that has an impact on the economy, education, health , many areas, there are many different components. Therefore, I believe that the Prime Minister should assume political leadership, “I. Šimonytė presented his point of view in the program.

According to her, the Minister of Health does not have to be a doctor.

“In my opinion, it is not necessary for the Minister of Health to be a doctor, or for the Minister of Education to be an educator, or for the Minister of Agriculture to be a farmer. It seems to me that other competencies are more important, related to the management of processes, knowledge of the system, knowledge of system problems and the ability to assume political responsibility ”, the politician pointed out to the necessary characteristics of the Minister.

Ministers will not be covered

I. Šimonytė said on the program “Conversation with Daiva Žeimyte-Biliene” that the ministers will not be protected just because they are “his”.

“If on the road the work of the Government occurred in such a way that someone’s reputation would fluctuate in a very significant way, as was the case with this Government. We won’t really cover those people just because they are “knowledgable.” The concept of political responsibility would not be theoretical, we will not say that until the court says otherwise, it is not guilty. And respecting what we demand of the current government, we would adhere to other standards of political ethics, “said the parliamentarian.

I. Šimonytė, representative of the Conservative Party, stressed that he would like to see political morality included even in the coalition agreement.

What would you do?

Speaking about how the fight against the coronavirus could be changed, the parliamentarian said that people need to know who are the experts or advisers who help politicians make decisions.

“It must be clear who are the advisers whose qualifications, skills and advice are used to make political decisions. And it is these people, and not politicians, who should explain those decisions to the public as often as possible,” said I. Šimonytė, TS-LKD list leader.

She argued that people who are unequivocally recognized as qualified should talk to people.

The MP was surprised that not only people, but also politicians, who managed to forget the next second wave of the coronavirus, relaxed in the summer.

“In the summer, when this victory was announced, we did everything very well: the economy fell the least, the least illness, the least death. I understand that people wanted to relax, I understand, tension affects the psyche. (…) But the government could not relax, because there was no news that in the fall we would face one or another recurrence of that situation.

During that time, the authorities bled even more for their work in terms of following up contacts and supplying data. (…) The government could not go on vacation. And that is the problem now: how to apply measures that make sense and how to interpret them without having access to the strictest measures ”, he mentioned the dilemma.

I. Šimonytė said on the show that it is not difficult to close people at home, but long-term problems will be solved for a longer time.

“After this pandemic, people’s mental health will be a very big problem, even after we’re through it. It will be a long-standing problem.” Delphi I. Šimonytė, the candidate for prime minister, spoke at the fair.