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DateLine Tuesday, 24 March 2009

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Rubella vaccination incident:

Ministry blames local team



Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in conversation with Dr. Madhar Ram and Dr. Stephane Guichard.

Negligence on the part of the medical team for failing to pay due attention to the ‘cautioning letter’ by the mother and absence of an emergency response team, had caused the death of the 12- year- old girl of St. Thomas’ Girl’s High School in Matara, Deputy Director General (Public Health) Dr. P.G. Mahipala concluded in his report, a Health Ministry spokesperson said.

Dr. Mahipala who was appointed to investigate the cause of the death of Peshala Hansani who suddenly died after the administration of a Rubella vaccination, given as part of a public immunization campaign conducted in her school by Health authorities of Matara district last Thursday, handed over his report to the Health Minister yesterday. In the report he mentioned an allergic reaction to the Rubella injection may have been the cause of the death of the student.

He and a team of doctors were dispatched to Matara by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to probe the incident due to the controversial manner in which the child died. The incident caused uproar among the public.

The child’s mother had written to health officers on the day of the health camp in school that her child was prone to allergic reactions to food containing cow’s milk and hence to pay due heed to this fact when administering the Rubella vaccine to her daughter.

No child has been admitted to any State hospital in connection with Rubella vaccine after the first incident when 27 children were admitted to the Matara hospital. Almost all the children have been discharged but still some parents keep them in the hospital willingly because of the shock and fear. Some other parents very often bring their cured children back to hospital because of the same reason the spokesman said.

The spokesperson said on the day Peshala was immunized, 4,000 others in Matara district were also given the same vaccination.

The two doctors assigned by the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct a special probe, on the invitation of the Health Minister, arrived in the country yesterday. They will meet local epidemiological experts in Colombo today and will visit St.Thomas’ Girl’s High School, the MOH and the General Hospital in Matara tomorrow. Their report is due within two to three days, the spokesperson said.

The two WHO experts were flown to Sri Lanka to investigate the Matara incident where Peshala Hansani died and 27 others were taken ill after the administration of the routine Rubella vaccine. They have been requested to conduct a full scale independent investigation into the case looking into all possible angles.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva made this request when the duo, Dr. Madhav Ram (Accelerated Measles Control Immunization and Vaccine Development) and Dr. Stephane Guichard, (Technical Officer, Vaccine Supply and Quality Immunization and Vaccine Development) called on the Minister at his ministry yesterday morning.

The Minister told the experts that their attention should also be drawn on the technical, management and administration angles too during this investigation to see whether there had been any negligence or the vaccine was of inferior quality.

A Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry release said the WHO experts were sent here in response to a request made to WHO South East Asia Director Dr. Samlee Plianbanchang by Minister de Silva.

The Minister said if anyone was found guilty for this unfortunate incident directly or indirectly, stern action would be taken against him or her according to the existing law and regulations.

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Secretary Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage Director General of Health Services Dr. Ajith Mendi was also present.

 

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