Committee to probe cardiac surgery deaths at National Hospital

A three-member committee has been appointed to look into the death of four patients who underwent heart surgeries at the Colombo National Hospital. 

It had been reported that four out of six patients who underwent heart surgeries at the Cardiology Unit of the National Hospital on Monday (November 28), had passed away.

Therefore the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne has instructed the Director General of Health Services, Dr Palitha Maheepala, to appoint an investigative committee to probe the matter. 

The committee comprises of Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Lakshmi Somatunga, Director (Laboratory Services) Dr K.K.B. Kamal Jayasinghe and Senior Assistant Secretary of the Health Ministry Rohana de Silva.

The committee has been instructed to conduct thorough investigations in to the deaths and submit a report to the ministry today (30).

Meanwhile the Ministry of Health has decided to temporarily remove a certain dye which has been suspected of causing the four heat patients. 

The Health Minister has instructed the Medical Supplies Division to immediately halt that batch of dye, which is used in heart surgeries, pending an investigation by the National Medicinal Drug Regulatory Authority.

The ministry said that the Medical Supplies Division has notified respective hospital directors not to use needles with the dye in question at their hospitals.