A’pura hospital Director defends staff over infant’s death

The Director of the Anuradhapura Hospital Dulan Samaraweera has ordered a full investigation into the allegation that a newborn child dropped to the floor and died at the hospital, but believes that it was not the negligence of hospital staff.

He said the delivery of the child appeared to be rare where the baby had delivered suddenly due to the pressure while the umbilical cord had broken about one foot away.

Dr Samaraweera said that the mother was being transferred to the bed when the delivery took place and the staff present at that time had done their best.

He said the post-mortem inquiry will reveal the cause of the death.

However, the family of the child believe that it was a case of negligence of the staff present at that time.

The mother from a remote village had been transferred from another hospital to Anuradhapura.

According to the husband Kumarasinghe Dissanayake, the wife was first admitted to the Kallanchchiya Hospital and then transferred to the Anuradhapura hospital. He claimed the baby had fallen onto the floor as the medical staff was unable to hold the baby.