DNA test to identify tsunami infant's real mother

THE DNA test of the three and a half month infant Aswar (Sahan) caught in the tsunami and rescued by the Army will be done, free of charge, at the Ragama Medical Faculty's Molecular Medicine Unit (MMU) on Monday, Unit's Head Dr. W. Abeywickrema said.

Colombo Chief Magistrate, Sarojini Kusala Abeywardena ordered for a DNA test to identify the real mother of the infant allegedly abducted during the December tsunami.

The Magistrate on April 6 ordered Dr. Abeywickreme to conduct the DNA tests at the Ragama Medical Faculty on Aswar and Mohamed Sareef Seiyanambu, the woman who claims to be the real mother.

Although there had been misleading statements that there is no government institution doing DNA testing in Sri Lanka, MMU of the Kelaniya University's Medical Faculty had been doing this type of DNA testing since March 2002, according to Dr. Abeywickreme. Since then over 300 such tests have been conducted at the unit on court orders from Magistrate Courts all over the island.

The Faculty has been able to establish this service with assistance provided by the International Atomic Emergency Agency (IAEA) through research grants for 'Molecular diagnosis of major infectious diseases in Sri Lanka' and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA).

The unit has decided to do this tsunami related investigation free of charge - following NCPA assistance.