Fresh probe into amputation case

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

Health Ministry yesterday decided to conduct a fresh probe into the purported medical misadventure where the right hand of an 83-year-old woman at the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) was amputated.

Accordingly, Director General of Health Services Dr. Athula Kahandaliyange yesterday appointed a committed headed by Deputy Director General(Medical Services) Dr. Terrance Gamini de Silva to conduct a fresh inquiry into the incident.

The committee also includes Deans of Medical faculties of Universities in Sri Lanka.

A Ministry Spokesman said the Director General was not satisfied with the preliminary report presented in this regard.

The committee will inquire into whether the patient concerned was given due health-care, basic procedures were adopted before administering medication and injections and also perusal of the preliminary report.

"The new committee has been asked to forward its report within four weeks." the spokesman added. On Friday, the Health Ministry received the report of the preliminary investigation. The report was handed over to Dr. Kahandaliyange by CNH's Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe.

Earlier, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, ordered a full probe into this incident.

In this unfortunate incident, the right hand of 83 year old Caroline Perera of Wellampitiya was amputated November(26). She was initially admitted for treatment for a filaria infected leg.

The incident occurred on Saturday(26) night after the patient developed complications in her hand after being administered a penicillin injection. She had been given an intra-venous injection and doctors suspect that it may have accidentally contacted the arteries, which had allegedly led to the complications.

On a directive by Minister de Silva, Dr. Kahandaliyange issued instructions to CNH Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe to investigate the matter and submit a report.

Earlier, Dr. Weerasinghe told the Daily News that this was a very rare incident. Such an incident was previously reported in the 1990s. There had been no complications thereafter.

The patient was given the injection on Friday night and her hand was amputated below the shoulder on Saturday night.

"The penicillin injection concerned is not dangerous. It is a normal injection which is regularly used in hospitals," the spokesman asserted.