Did baby die due to burn injuries?

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

The report of the United Nations Population divisions states that Sri Lanka's infant mortality rate is 11 deaths per 1,000 live births.

In such a backdrop the last thing any parent would expect is the death of their infant, a few days after birth. Thirty nine year-old, Chamari Mendis and husband Sudath de Silva (40) would have never dreamt that they will lose their second baby. However, on April 25 they faced this tragedy. On April 21 Chamari was admitted to a leading private hospital in Galle for the birth of her second child under Consultant doctor Kapilani Withanachchi.

A little baby boy was born by ceasearean section. He weighed three and a half kilograms. Their first child was a girl. The baby was healthy and had responded to the new environment.

Doctors told the mother that the baby was doing fine. Yet it didn't take much time for the dream to be shattered. The baby died on April 25. They could not believe that the baby who was so normal had suddenly passed away. Galle Police are conducting a thorough investigation and following is the unusual story of the tragic death of the four-day-old infant.

It is only at the death of the baby the family found that the child has suffered from burn injuries. How the child received burn injuries is the main question. After the baby's birth the doctors have told the parents they need to transfer the baby to the warming table or medically known as resuscitation table.

This device is a compulsory equipment in today's neonatal care, where it is used to warm the baby under controlled conditions if the baby is showing respiratory problems, unusual skin colour or any other unhealthy symptom.

It is an act of reviving a life. According to Chamari the doctors told her that they suspected that embryonic fluid might have entered the baby's respiratory tract.

As the condition had not become normal, hospital authorities had immediately transferred the baby to the Mahamodara National Hospital at 12.50 a.m. on April 22. The baby was admitted to the special care unit of the neonatal care ward as the ward was under Dr. Kapilani Withanachchi.

Police inquiries

During police inquiries, the private hospital had not accepted the existence of burn injuries, on the child while he was under their care.

Yet when the police questioned the staff of the Mahamodara Hospital they have given evidence to the effect that the infant was admitted to the hospital with burn injuries. During the questioning sessions the Mahamodara hospital staff had said the child had breathing problems, increased heart beat, low oxygen levels in the blood and the liver was abnormal.

The Judicial Medical Officers report will be released soon following proper testing of the vital organs of the child like lungs, liver and heart.

The resuscitation machine of the private hospital has been sealed by police. According to police the engineers of the Biomedical Engineers Division of the Ministry of Health will conduct a full examination of the equipment by next week. At the moment the case is under Magisterial inquiry. Under the instructions of SSP Keerthi de Silva, SP Karunanayake (Galle 1) the investigations are conducted by the Sri Lanka Police in Galle by Chief Inspector Sathis Gamage and Inspector Y.K. Meththananda and Sub inspector K.D. Weerasinghe. What caused the burn injuries? What is the cause of death? The infant died and the parents lost the baby boy they longed for. Now it is up to the authorties to reveal what really went wrong.