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Syringes gone but symptoms could appear
Doctors warn meningitis could crop up after immunity system is destroyed
By Vanessa Sridharan and N. Dilshath Banu
Doctors have warned that although contaminated syringes were removed from the hospitals, meningitis could crop up as symptoms could surface over six months later.

“The problem of these fungi is that they will not have an immediate impact on the patients. Once the immunity system is destroyed the bacteria starts to attack the patient. This could take a long time; it could even be next year. We don’t know if it has spread around the country,” Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) president Dr. Uditha Herath said.

Health Ministry official also confirmed that the incubation period for fungi growth will take time. As a result the spread of the disease cannot be predicted. “These fungi take a long time to grow, so we cannot speculate on the spread of the disease. However, new cases have been reported in some hospitals.” he said.

The first case of meningitis was reported at the De Soyza Hospital, when one of the mothers died after she was given a spinal anaesthesia. The Sunday Times learns that the maternity operating theatre at the hospital was closed claiming it was due to several construction defects. However, four out of twelve pregnant women in different hospitals who underwent Caesarean section died due to the injection given with the contaminated syringe.
“If it is a storage problem the syringes should have had the organism outside, but the syringes had the organism inside them. So we presume these syringes were repacked and sold in the market” Dr. Herath said.

“Those syringes which were repacked could have been smuggled into the country, even as tsunami aid or they could have been repacked after being brought into the country” he said.The Sunday Times learns that Dr. (Mrs) F. Chandrasiri, Consultant Microbiologist at the National Hospital conducted tests and found bacterial growth in three types of syringes. The Sunday Times also learns that the company which supplies these syringes claimed it did not import these syringes in 2003. This statement was issued on August 1 to the Health Ministry to be circulated in all hospitals. This was after four deaths occurred and more cases were reported.

However, a Health Ministry official said the statement was circulated and the syringes removed from the hospitals. “The Health Ministry has appointed a special committee to investigate into this matter. We are in contact with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. We have sent samples to it for investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Herath said the contamination could have occurred at the warehouse in Wellawatte. “This warehouse is not suitable for storing medical equipment. For storing certain medical items, there should be proper facilities such as cold rooms and dark rooms, but such facilities are not available in this warehouse.

It used to be a warehouse for storing food but later it was converted into a warehouse for storing medical equipment,” he said. Dr. Herath added that some tsunami items were also store in this warehouse. When The Sunday Times reporters wanted to enter the warehouse, the person in charge, identifying himself as a Mr. Wijesingha, refused admission claiming a letter from the Health Ministry was needed.

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