By Sandun A. Jayasekera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today offered to send the seriously injured Katunayaka Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) employee abroad for medical treatment, Environment Minister Anura Priyadhashana Yapa said.

Minister Yapa said he visited the 21 year old L.S. Roshan Chanaka of Seeduwa at the ICU of the Ragama Teaching Hospital and expressed the regrets of the government about the incident.

Roshan has been seriously wounded when the police allegedly opened fire at a group of KFTZ employees when they protested to the proposed private sector pension scheme on Monday.

“I visited Roshan at the ICU and other patient who have been injured during the clash on the 30th on the instructions of President Rajapaksa at the Ragama Teaching Hospital. President Rajapaksa instructed the hospital director to obtain the services of the best medical advice from any hospital or medical specialists and also to provide best medical care to all patients including Roshan. The government is ready to send Roshan abroad for special medical treatment if necessary,” Minister Yapa said.

Meanwhile, doctors at the Ragama Teaching Hospital ICU said the condition of Roshan was critical as there had been profuse bleeding as his abdomen has been severely injured.

“It is not advisable to take the patient to a foreign country as he is on the life support. We are closely monitoring his condition and expect some improvement,” the doctor on condition of anonymity said.