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Ratnapura
Hospital crisis inquiry
Health
Ministry Secretary vows to appoint experts
Healthcare Ministry Secretary Dr. H.A.P. Kahandaliyanage has
vowed to conduct a new series of inquiries with suitable medical
expertise rather than using unrelated graduates, in the issue
related to Ratnapura General Hospital.
GMOA member Dr. Upul Gunasekara told The Bottom Line that
the amusing fact about the inquiry was the appointing of several
graduates who were not related to the medical field to hold
the inquiry by the Healthcare Ministry officials.
“How can such graduates conduct an inquiry when they
are not aware of the issues about the hospital administration
and the medical terms? We are not degrading these graduates
and we too respect their degrees. But we find it highly amusing
that the Ministry has appointed these graduates without knowing
the reason why they have been appointed,” Gunasekara
stated.
He also said that it could be an attempt by the government
to employ at least some of the unemployed graduates.
He further warned that the GMOA would not get involved in
any other inquiry if they were not held in the appropriate
manner with a proper group of expertise in the panel.
Meanwhile, another member of the GMOA Chandika Epithakaduwa
said, although the Ministry Secretary Kahandaliyanage claimed
that the male nurse who was involved in the issue had been
transferred to Kegalle General Hospital, in reality he was
transferred to Kahawatta Base Hospital.
“The general procedure in transferring a person who has
committed a mistake is to another district. But we can see
that in the case of male nurse Nishantha Lekamge, it is rather
a promotion than a demotion. He resides in Pelmadulla, which
is only 2km away from Kahawatta Base Hospital,” Epithakaduwa
pointed out.
On May 5, a male nurse verbally abused a doctor on call on
ward six at the Ratnapura General Hospital. Subsequently,
the Health Ministry took steps to transfer the nurse to the
Kegalle Hospital and on May 8. The nurses went on a strike
and that caused the deaths of three patients. However, Health
Ministry is still conducting inquiries into the incident.
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