Health teams visit Badulla to probe students' deaths
 

by Manjula Fernando

Four teams from the Colombo Epidemiological Unit have left for Badulla to investigate the sudden deaths of two students and the Vice Principal of a rural school in Maspenna.

Although the exact cause of the two students' deaths have not been established in the initial post-mortem, the District Medical Officer (DMO) of Wewegama Hospital Dr. Susantha Kariyawasam said there was no reason to believe that the deaths were linked to a mystery disease.

"We are not sure of the cause of deaths of the two students but the Vice Principal R.M.Gunapala, 52, had died of a heart attack," the DMO said.

The first student, Sanath Premasiri,16, of Maspenna Bandaragama MMV had high fever and was vomiting.

He received medical treatment a few days before his sudden death. He was pronounced dead on admission to hospital on March 23. "However, he had not been ailing at the time," Dr. Kariyawasam said.

Dhanushka Chaturanga,16, who was in the same class had complained that he was feeling faintish at school on March 28 and was admitted to Wewegama hospital by the Vice Principal. The postmortem had not detected a possible cause of death.

Dr. Kariyawasam has ruled liver and goal bladder enlargement as the cause of Sanath's death while the court has given an open verdict on Danushka's death.

According to Uva Paranagama Police OIC Hiran Ratnayake the post-mortem on the Vice Principal and the second child was carried out at Badulla Hospital on a court order by Police. The postmortem on Sanath was performed at Wewegama Hospital. Dhanushka's body parts have been sent to the Government Analyst for a pathological evaluation to determine his exact cause of death.

The Provincial Education Director has closed four schools, Wewegama MV, Maspenna Bandaragama MMV, Galahinna Primary School and Yalagamuwa Vidyalaya close to each other until the investigation ends.