News
Son alleges hospital neglect led to judge’s fatal fall
The son of a retired High Court judge is claiming justice for his father’s death at the Colombo National Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment until last week.
The patient, 88-year-old Sirisena Kadwathaarachchi, fell from the fifth floor of the hospital’s Bandaranaike Memorial Ward and died of multiple injuries from the fall on July 5.
Hospital staff say the death was a suicide but the late judge’s son, himself a doctor, claims it was due to failure by ward staff to adequately treat and monitor him.
Sirisena Kadwathaarachchi was admitted to the National Hospital after being treated at a private hospital for some time.
His son, Dr. Thusitha Sampath Kadwathaarachchi, 45, alleges that negligence by the doctor, nurses and care attendant at the National Hospital had caused his father’s death. He wants a full investigation into the circumstances leading to the judge’s fatal fall.
Testifying before the Coroner on events leading up to his father’s death, Dr. Kadwathaarachchi claimed the nurses had failed to administer medication prescribed by the doctor in attendance.
He said an antibiotic drug had not been administered for days as the drug had not been available at the hospital.
“Not even a substitute drug was given,” Dr. Kadawathaarachchi said. “After two days, they asked me to buy the drugs from outside, which I did.”
He alleges the doctor in attendance had failed to check whether the antibiotic had been administered to the patient.
Dr. Kadwathaarachchi said the nurses had told his father that his son had failed to buy the medication despite the nurses requesting him to buy it from outside.
“I bought it from a private pharmacy and handed it over to the nurses. My concern is about my father’s feelings – he would have misunderstood and thought that I had neglected him,” he said.
Dr. Kadwathaarachchi said he had also been requested to get a blood test done outside the hospital. Although the facility was available in the hospital, the staff had claimed that the hospital lab reports could not be relied upon.
In addition, the family had been requested by the nurses to hire a 24/7 caregiver to look after the patient. The caregiver, Kapila Indika, 40, who had come recommended by the nurses, had been away from the hospital when the death occurred, saying he had gone out to reload his phone.
Dr. Kadwathaarachchi said the attendant had no business to leave the patient alone and is asking for action to be taken against him for alleged dereliction of duty.
Colombo Junior Medical Officer Dr. S.D. Channa Perera has reported that the late judge’s death had been caused by multiple injuries. The chief nurse in charge of the ward was due to appear before Colombo Municipal Coroner Iresha Deshani Samaraweera yesterday. Attendant Kapila Indika has already testified.