Mahamodara Postnatal Unit closed

Ridma Dissanayake

The Health Ministry has issued instructions to shut down the Postnatal Baby Care Unit of Mahamodara Hospital temporarily from Saturday.

Health Ministry Additional Secretary Dr Palith Maheepala and Health Services Director General Dr Ajith Mendis had visited the Mahamodara Hospital at the request of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. They had conducted investigations at the hospital and taken several decisions regarding the Postnatal Baby Care Unit. “There are seven postnatal babies in the unit at present. The ministry has instructed hospital authorities not to admit newly born postnatal babies or postnatal babies from other hospitals till the babies at the unit are discharged after treatment,” a Health Ministry spokesman said.

Arrangements have been made to repair the unit after the babies are discharged from hospital.

Steps have been taken to provide a new air conditioning machine and to clean the unit so that it will be free of germs, he said. The spokesman said it will take a month to repair the unit.

“Postnatal babies born at the hospital during this period will be transferred to the Postnatal Baby Care Unit of Karapitiya Hospital. A new Postnatal Baby Care Unit will also be set up at Mahamodara Hospital in addition to the current unit,” he said.

A special medical team will visit Mahamodara Hospital today to re-investigate the deaths of 10 infants within a short period. The report of the earlier investigation by the same team has been handed over to Dr Ajith Mendis. It will be submitted to Minister Sirisena today, the spokesman said .

Investigations by the Health Ministry medical team have revealed that a germ spread by a postnatal baby admitted to Mahamodara Hospital from another hospital had led to this situation.