The committee inquiring into the amputation of the law student’s arm has found that the staff of the Matara Hospital are responsible for the blunder, the Health Ministry said.
The report compiled by the three-member committee, which was submitted to the Secretary of the Health Ministry on Tuesday, was handed over to Minister Maithripala Sirisena yesterday.
According to the report the specialist doctor, intern medical officers and nursing staff of the hospital who were involved in treating the law student are responsible for the
medical mishap.
The Health Ministry stated that they will be served with charge sheets and that the Public Service Commission has been notified to take disciplinary action.
Achala Priyadarshini was admitted to the Matara Hospital on January 17 with fracture injuries in her left hand, after falling down a flight of stairs at her home.
There her hand was bandaged and when she informed hospital staff of continues pain they had injected her with the pain killer ‘Pethidine’.
However, as her condition worsened she was transferred to the Karapitiya Hospital and again to the Colombo National Hospital for further treatment.
Upon being admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, doctors had diagnosed that the only way to treat her at the current condition was to amputate the hand and they had proceeded to do so.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had instructed the Secretary to the Health Ministry, Dr. Nihal Jayathilake to appoint a committee and conduct an immediate inquiry into the incident.
