The PHI's tryst with death

The Public Health Inspector (PHI) who rendered a yeomen service to the community at Mollipothana where he conducted a relentless campaign to educate the public on methods of eradicating dengue the dreaded disease for a considerable period of time was beaten to death last week with a pestle by an enraged man. The reason was that he and his wife were warned by the Public Health Inspector to keep their premises clean. A heated argument that ensued between the PHI with his wife resulted in death. It was a tragic and a brutal murder where a public official who was engaged in saving the lives of other people became the victim of his own crusade.

The tragedy occurred on July 9 around 10 a.m. when a man armed with a pestle dealt several fatal blows on his head.

The PHI who succumbed to his injuries was rushed to the Kantale hospital. He was found dead on admission. The victim was identified as Mohammed Faleel (52), a resident of Kinniya in the Trincomalee area who was employed as a Public Health Inspector at Thambalagamuwa division.

Owing to the dengue fever spreading in the Trincomalee area, an awareness program was launched by the health officials to prevent its spread. Several men and women including children stricken by dengue became victims of the dreaded disease in the past, according to Health Department officials.

The PHI along with four PHIs and other employees of the Health Department were assigned to Thambalagamuwa to educate the people on preventive measures.

After distributing several mosquito nets to residents at the community centre at Parakum place PHI Faleel along with other PHIs visited houses in Mollipothana to inspect the sanitary conditions. The least unexpected thing happened when PHI Faleel and other PHIs stepped into the suspect's house. The house was in a filthy condition, a potential breeding place for dengue mosquitoes. When Faleel admonished the suspect and his mother to keep their home garden clean and tidy, they took offence to his remark and abused them in obscene language. When health workers were preparing to spray insecticide around the house the inmates asserted that their premises were clean enough and there was no need for them to spray insecticide. However, the PHI's remark infuriated the husband who had served in the Home Guard Unit of the Civil Defence Force and in the security forces. His wife found it impossible to live with him due to harassment caused to her by her husband. She now lives with her father, sources said.

Following a heated verbal exchange between the PHIs and the suspect with regard to the cleanliness of his home, the man insisted that there were no mosquitoes. Then the suspect grabbed a pestle from the kitchen and came charging at them. To avoid getting injured the PHIs ran away from the house. But the man came charging behind and dealt heavy blows on PHI Faleel's head with the pestle. He fell unconscious on the road and did not regain consciousness.

His colleagues who fled from the scene later came back and despatched the injured to the Kantale hospital, but it was too late. He was found dead on admission. The body was later transferred to the Kantale mortuary for an autopsy. The Thambalagama police on hearing the news rushed to the scene and went in search of the suspect to his home. But the suspect wasn't at home. However, on a tip off police arrested the suspect in a boutique. He was produced in court and was placed in remand custody until investigations are over, Police Media Spokesman SP, Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Observer.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena condemned the brutal and despicable slaying of a public health official involved in the eradication of dengue. He expressed condolences to the bereaved family and advised Public Health Inspectors to formulate a scheme where they could protect themselves while executing official duties.

Last week several Public Health Inspectors staged a protest at Battaramulla over the death of their colleague. At a press briefing held last week at the Health Ministry, Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena said that he will propose the deployment of armed service personnel and policemen to assist Public Health Inspectors to carry out dengue prevention work in the future. “The matter will be discussed with the Defence Ministry to find an immediate solution to the problem.”

This was a sequel to the slaying of the Public Health Inspector M. Faleel, the minister said. He said several Public Health Inspectors engaged in dengue prevention work had been threatened and assaulted by the public in the past. “The public should understand that Public Health Inspectors discharge their duties to save the lives of people. Although the national Dengue Prevention Program was launched on June 25 with the participation of the armed service personnel, they did not carry any arms as such. But in future armed service personnel will accompany them to thwart any threats.

The slain PHI M. Faleel was a father of five children. His eldest son (19) is studying for the GCE Advanced Level Examination and his younger children are daughters. According to elder brother K.M.M. Subair the Principal of Al Hijra Vidyalaya at Mollipothana his brother was a conscientious and dedicated public health official who served in the Kantale area during the past two years. He served in the Health Department for 21 years. “My elder brother was dead and Faleel was the youngest in our family. Other members of the family were all sisters,” he said.

He said Faleel was devoted to his job and mingled with the public closely. It was unfortunate that he was murdered in this fashion. It was a cold-blooded murder,” he said.A large number of people flocked to the deceased's house to pay their last respects to the man who strove hard to save people from the deadly dengue disease.