LANKALIBRARY FORUM

Mystery death of medical student

By R.S. Keeriyawatte
DM . 08APR2005

A Peradeniya university final year female student who fell ill suddenly and was admitted to Peradeniya hospital on Sunday died yesterday.

She is Chaya Lankeswara (25) of Kotamulla, Ratnapura.

She was admitted to the Medical Faculty of Peradeniya university in the year 2000. She was an extremely bright student securing second place at the GCE (O/L) exam in 1996.

The girl's father Ratnasiri Lankeswara who is a school principal made a complaint at Peradeniya police station yesterday requesting a full inquiry as he entertains doubts at the sudden death of his daughter.

On the instructions of OIC Peradeniya police Chief Police Inspector K.M.S Bowela further inquiries are being conducted by a police team led by SI Piyasiri.

Apparently this student has died of Viral Myocarditis. Myocarditis, a viral disease that affects the heart, has hit the Kandy district, claiming at least three lives and bringing more patients daily.

The medical student is reported to have administered artificial respiration (mouth to mouth respiration) to a suspected myocarditis patient admitted to hospital on April 2. She was the first to die of the suspected disease. On Friday, another woman showing similar symptoms also has died.

Peradeniya deaths: No diagnosis yet

DM / 13APR2005
By Sajeewan Wijewardana

The Peradeniya Teaching Hospital said yesterday it could not confirm whether the recent deaths of two fever patients at the hospital were due to viral myocarditis as widely speculated.

"The possibility of the cause being dengue is high," hospital director Dr. Chandra Goonetilake said after attending an awareness workshop on the disease for hospital staff.

She said that until a detailed report from the Medical Research Institute was received, they could not confirm whether the deaths were caused by viral myocarditis or some other viral infection.

"We have 32 fever patients undergoing indoor treatment. The two deaths also showed the same symptoms as these cases, but one of them complained of shortness of breath and chest pain as well," she said.

The patients had acute fever, body aches and muscle pains, reduced platelet count and low white cell count.

Our Kandy correspondents earlier said viral myocarditis was thought to be the cause of the deaths, and reported that staff and patients were afraid of coming to the hospital or working there.

Fever patients at Peradeniya Hospital : Dengue myocarditis, the cause


by Asela Kuruluwansa
CDN / 21APR2005

The fever patients admitted to the Peradeniya Hospital had been suffering from Dengue myocarditis according to tests done by the MRI, said the hospitals Consultant Physician Dr. Tilak Jayalath.

The situation is now under control and the number of fever patients admitted to hospital has drastically reduced during the last few days, he said. Most of the fever patients admitted in recent times have been treated and discharged and only five patients remained in the hospital at present, he said.