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Doctors
say assault was real Confirming JHU allegations, a medical report prepared by top physician Dr. Vajira Tennakoon of the Nawaloka Hospital affirms that the monk suffered rotator cuff injury to the right shoulder, contusion (blood clot) in the right transverse abdominal muscle and overlying subcutaneous tissue, which caused urinary retention. The report said that Ven. Sumangala Thera complained of a physical assault on June 8 … in Parliament. He said he had received blows to the lower abdomen and right shoulder. His upper limb had been subjected to violent twisting and pulling. He complained of severe pain in the right shoulder and lower abdomen. At the time of admission to the Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital (SJGH), he was unable to pass urine because of the pain in the lower abdomen. A urinary catheter had been inserted. The report says the monk was examined at Nawaloka by Dr. Lalith Wijeratne, Consultant Rheumatologist who observed (and recorded) limitation of internal rotation of the right shoulder joint due to intense pain and contusion on the lower anterior abdominal wall in the region of the right iliac fossa. Dr. Narendra Pinto, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon has noted limitation of extension, internal and external rotation of the right shoulder joint due to the pain. He was transferred to the Medical Intensive Care Unit for further observation. Dr. Tennakoon says he "confirmed the limitation of movement of the right shoulder joint and the presence of a tender contusion on the anterior abdominal wall". He says he advised a trial period without the catheter but the monk experienced, the next morning, difficulty in passing urine once again. The ultrasound scan of the abdomen done on June 10 evening at Nawaloka Hospital by Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe Consultant Radiologist has confirmed the presence of a contusion of the right transverse abdominis muscle and the overlying subcutaneous tissue, the report says. Meanwhile, Nalaka Wijesinghe, Coordinating Secretary of Ven. Sumangala Thera, alleged that the monk did not receive proper treatment or attention at the SJGH. He said he believed it was because the hospital staff was pressurized by interested parties. Mr. Wijesinghe said the hospital staff told him that the injuries were not serious the monk had only suffered what they called a "small bruise". He said the family members of the monk then decided to take him to a private hospital because they feared for the safety of the monk in a government-run hospital. At this stage, SJGH doctors objected to it and insisted that the monk at least undergo an ECG test. Mr. Wijesinghe said the manner in which the management of the hospital treated the case gave rise to doubts that they were trying to hide the true condition of the monk - a suspicion, which, he said, gained more credence when the hospital authorities denied media personnel any access to the monk. The coordinating secretary said he used his camera phone, took some pictures of the monk, and gave them to the media. He said the monk told him that he complained of a severe abdominal pain around midnight, but no doctor attended to him for one hour. A lady doctor who arrived around 1 a.m. instructed the staff to insert a catheter. Mr. Wijesinghe said that he also learnt that the monk was made to walk a considerable distance to the toilet and his pleas for alternate arrangements fell on deaf ears. The coordinating secretary said that when he took up the matter with the management, he was told that even if the Mahanayake Thera was admitted, he would be treated in the similar manner. Mr. Wijesinghe also alleged that even when he was being discharged, a male nurse refused to remove the saline needle from the monk's hand. Denying these charges, SJGH Director Dr. D. L de Lanerolle said the monk was given the room in a ward where even prelates had been treated and the staff there was familiar with rules and respects accorded to a monk. The director said the staff was concerned about the monk and had even complained about the lack of privacy for the monk in the ward where some 15 people were receiving treatment. Meanwhile JHU Advisor Tilak Karunaratne, referring to the June 8 incident in parliament said the party was awaiting the setting up of the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to take up the matter with the Speaker. He said those responsible for the attack should be suspended after the inquiry by the committee or the committee's report should be sent to the Supreme Court for the determination of a penalty. However, the two JHU monks - Ven. Sumangala Thera and Ven. Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera - had said they would not name the people as such an exercise was against the Dhamma. JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera in a letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunga said the JHU would not engage in any action, which would penalise the offenders. However, he called on the President to guarantee the functioning of the Parliament and accept the wrong doing of the UPFA. Meanwhile, Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga, who is in the center of the allegations, denied that he assaulted or manhandled the monk. He said what happened on June 8 was just a protest by Government MPs against the decision of the Speaker to swear in a JHU MP and added he had not been questioned by police so far. Deputy Minister Sripathy Sooriyaarachchi warned of a 500-million-rupee law suit if police tried to question him without a formal complaint. |
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