Ward nurses to be quizzed

Kandy Chief Magistrate Sumudu Premachandra ordered Kandy Police to record the statements of the staff of ward six of the Kandy General and Teaching Hospital and also ordered the Hospital Director to assist the Kandy police investigators to record the staements of the staff.

This order was made at the magisterial inquiry into the death of D.M.Puspha Kumari Dissanayake (27) which occurred under mysterious circumstances when she was in hospital for six months after the delivery of her child. D.M.Senarath Dissanayake of 129, Kalugalawatte, Katugastota gave evidence before the Chief Magistrate. He told Court that his wife allegedly died due to negligence and lack of proper treatment in the ward.

He said his wife was admitted to the hospital on July 21, 2007 for child birth. A Caesarian was performed on her on July 27 and six months later she died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital. The husband said his wife was in good health when she was admitted to the hospital and gave birth to a male child on July 27.

He said his wife complained to him that her right hand was lifeless when he visited her on July 28. On July 29 when he visited his wife she had pleaded that she be taken to a private hospital and said the hospital staff was abusing her and no treatment was being given.

The husband said a nurse identified as Ratnayake had told him his wife had a mental problem and that five doctors would visit her, but none had come. But he met a doctor, who on being told of the plight, had prescribed a drug to be given to her.

He said on the night of January 31, when his mother was at his wife's bedside, a nurse identified as Kusum had come and told his mother that the patient’s teeth should be brushed. She had squeezed toothpaste on to the brush and given it to his mother to brush his wife’s teeth. He said his mother had questioned the need of brushing teeth at this time of the night. But, Nurse Kusum had insisted.

He said his mother had then started to brush his wife’s teeth, when saliva had dripped from her mouth. Nurse Kusum had then taken out the respiratory mask which led to his wife’s eyes going up. At this stage the nurse had called out ‘Doctor, doctor, something is happening to the patient,’ Then his wife was rushed to the ICU, he said.The husband said that at the ICU, it was revealed that in the process of performing the Caesarian an injection is alleged to have gone wrong and the spinal cord of his wife had been damaged.

Dissanayake R.M.Dissnayake (57) the mother-in-law of the dead woman described to Court how on January 31 she was asked to brush the teeth of her daughter- in-law and also how the respiratory mask was removed. She also told Court the nurse was excited and how she called the ward doctor and rushed the patient to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

At this stage Sub-Inspector K.George made a submission to Court that statements of the Ward staff be recorded and also requested the Magistrate that the Hospital Director be informed to give assistance to record the statements. The inquiry was postponed to February 11, 2008