Local syringer manufacturers come under Health Ministry probe
 

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry in a surprise move has decided to probe the companies which locally manufacture and those importing syringers in the wake of allegations levelled over the recent Meningitis deaths. A four member team has been appointed by the Health Ministry to conduct the investigation.

They have been instructed to conduct an impartial and balanced inquiry, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

Already health authorities are investigating whether there had been a deliberate attempt by some elements to damage the reputation of a pharmaceutical supplier and the Health Ministry amidst the stiff competition among such companies.

"We have now focused our investigation into this fact also in order to ascertain whether there had been a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of a pharmaceutical company and also the Ministry of Health", a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday vowed to take stern action against any company if there had been malpractices in the import of syringers which was suspected to be the cause for recent spreading of deadly meningitis. However, so far no reason has been confirmed for the sudden spreading of meningitis which claimed the lives of two mothers and also infected six other pregnant women and two children.

"The disease was prevalent among mothers who delivered children through a caesarean surgery and patients were reported only from three hospitals," he added.

The spokesman noted that it was difficult to attribute the spread of the disease to the caesarean surgeries as the cases were reported only from three hospitals."Out of annual births, nearly 30 per cent are done through caesarean surgeries."

He said about 10,000 caesarean surgeries are done at Government hospitals."In all these cases, these syringers were used but only eight patients were reported."

Considering above facts, the investigating officials have now decided to further tighten their investigations.

The Ministry assured that all preventive measures are in place to counter the threat from meningitis which infected several patients over the last four weeks.

He said with the effective measures taken by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, meningitis had been brought under control."There is no epidemic proportion of the disease and it is now under control."