The Vice Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Elvira Surabaldieva discussed with civic activists the effectiveness of government responses to the situation of vulnerable groups in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 50 representatives of civil society, including leaders and representatives of socially oriented organizations, took part in the online dialogue.
The participants asked questions related to the rights of the elderly, PWDs, children and women with cancer, people living with HIV and suffering from tuberculosis, as well as the situation of children and teenagers in orphanages and boarding schools, human rights issues in places of detention and restriction of freedom.
«It is important not to repeat the mistakes that arose during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Outline the risks and threats that may arise in the future: access to life-saving drugs, risks of suicide growth among children and teenagers, problems of lack of access to education for schoolchildren and children with disabilities, lack of access to psychological assistance,» its participants noted.
They also highlighted the importance of compliance with all previously reached agreements and called on officials to continue an open dialogue with civil society.
«The pandemic has literally shown where there was a lack of a hand and a purse of the state, the population received assistance from civil society for the most part. If any misunderstandings arise, let’s resolve them through open discussion and consensus. Our citizen should be at the top of mind. And we, for our part, will make every possible effort for this. All this will be closely monitored. We focus on openness. The government’s proposals will be ready in two weeks, closer to November 20. We will have a meeting before that date. We are ready for dialogue,» Elvira Surabaldieva said.
