Student death: Blame
game and blocked drains
By Nadia Fazlulhaq
Following the death of a student and scores of
others falling sick at the Law College hostel last week, the Kotte
Municipal Council has hit out at hostel authorities for failing
to look into the hygiene of the premises.
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Sudheera Mataraarachchi |
Medical investigations are underway to ascertain
the cause of death of Sudheera Mataraarachchi (27) who developed
high fever while at the hostel at Rajagiriya and died on admission
to the National Hospital last week. His blood samples have been
sent to Thailand. Forty other students were also down with fever.
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Law College hostel premises. |
Pending the medical report, an open verdict has
been returned on the death of the student.
City Coroner Edward Ahangama said there was suspicion
that the death was due to a viral infection.
Of the 40 students who were struck down six of
them were admitted to the National Hospital and some others to private
hospitals last week.
The Law College hostel, at 1163-B, Kotte Road,
Rajagiriya accommodates about 100 students.
Meanwhile, Kotte Municipal Council's chief medical
officer Dr.Samarajeeva blamed hostel authorities for taking little
action to eradicate mosquito-breeding places.
"It's the responsibility of the Law College
administration to inform the Municipal Council when there is a huge
garbage pile, when drains need to be cleaned or when chemicals need
to be sprayed. However, no one informed us of any hygiene problem
and when a death occurs the Municipal Council is blamed," Dr.Samarajeeva
said.
He said that the Municipal Council has provided
bins to collect garbage including one for recycling purposes.
"When our PHIs visited the hostel they found
that about 20,000 coconut shells had been dumped in the premises
and the drains had stagnant water. At least the hostel workers should
handover the garbage to the MC, even at the entrance," Dr.
Samarajeeva said.
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Stagnant water besides the Law College hostel
premises. |
Meanwhile The Sunday Times was not allowed to take
any photographs of the hostel premises.
When the principal of the Law College and hostel
warden W. D. Rodrigo was contacted, he said, he could not comment
without the permission of the Council for Legal Education.
Commenting on the death of a student and the suspicions
of a viral infection spreading among students, Student's Union president
Lisitha Gayan Sachindra said students had a right to know what was
affecting the students and that the Kotte Municipal had to be alert
to the problem as Rajagiriya came under its purview.
He also said law college exams that were to be
held last week, had been postponed as many students in the hostel
had fallen ill.
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