Death of nurse:

Colleagues blame medical officers

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE and Bandula GUNASEKERA

Nurses attached to the Matara General Hospital yesterday agitated opposite the hospital against the death of a colleague allegedly due to professional negligence of certain medical officers.

Nanda Fernando had been an officer attached to the nursing staff of the Matara General Hospital. The nurses stated that she had been admitted to hospital on April 12 and transfered later to the Intensive Care Unit on April 14 since her condition was worsened.

They alleged that she died at the ICU due to the negligence of medical officers on April 15. Meanwhile, Public Services United Nurses' Union President Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera in a letter addressed to the Health Ministry Secretary has requested to hold an impartial inquiry into the incident.

"The nursing staff are frustrated over the incident," the letter stated.