Health Minister orders immediate investigation

Amputation of a 14-month baby girl's hand

Chesmal Siriwardhana

COLOMBO: Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, has ordered an immediate investigation into an alleged medical misconduct incident at the Kandy Teaching Hospital in which a hand of a 14 month old baby girl was amputated. Sevumini Udeshika Kumari, a baby girl of 14 months from Galagedara, Kandy was admitted to the Galagedara hospital on October 1 by her parents to be treated for respiratory problems the girl was suffering from.

According to the girl's mother, she was transferred to the Kandy Teaching Hospital on October 6 for further investigations.Doctors from the Kandy hospital diagnosed the girl to be suffering from Pneumonia and prescribed a treatment course for a week to be administered via injections to the patient.

The mother of the patient said the medicine was administered accordingly and on the night of October 11, her daughter screamed in pain when the injection was given. She said the following day, a finger of the girl turned bluish.

Following this, the girl was taken to Peradeniya hospital and then she was transferred to the Colombo National Hospital (NHSL).

Doctors at the NHSL ward No.30 amputated the hand of the baby girl on October 19.According to the mother, the doctors have told her that the hand had to be amputated to save the girl's life due to an infection caused by administering a wrong injection to the infant at the Kandy hospital.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister has ordered Acting Director General of Health Services, Dr. Ajith Mendis to conduct an investigation about the incident and provide a report within 2 days.

Dr. Mendis has appointed a two-member committee of Dr. Shivakumaran from NHSL and Health Ministry Emergency Investigation Officer N.W.L. Rahuman to conduct the investigations. The Director General has instructed the committee to provide a comprehensive report on the matter within two days.

Dr. Mendis said that the committee will be visiting Galagedara and Kandy hospitals to conduct investigations about the incident.