No negligence, rare allergic reaction caused the death

Referring to the tragic and untimely death of a 21-year-old woman who died after being administered a drug via cannula while receiving treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital on Wednesday (12), Hospital Director Arjuna Thilakarathna denied any medical negligence involving the incident.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Dr. Thilakarathna said, “She has developed complications after she was administered an antibiotic called Ceftriaxone via a cannula. Ceftriaxone is an antibiotic that is used to treat many kinds of bacterial infections.

“We have used around 2,700 vials containing Ceftriaxone on previous occasions at the hospital. However, no one has been reported with complications until the recent mishap. The death is believed to be due to an allergic reaction. This is a one-in-a- hundred thousand case,” Dr. Thilakarathna.

However, he said that an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. Saman Rathnayake told Daily Mirror that the postmortem has determined that the death of the girl had been caused due to anaphylactic shock, which is a rare but severe allergic reaction.

When asked whether the drug has been withdrawn, Dr. Rathnayake stated, “There is no need to withdraw the drug from use as the death is not due to an issue in the medicine but severe allergic reaction developed within her body.”

Meanwhile, the Kandy Magistrate who held the magisterial inquiry into the mysterious death of a 21-year-old girl at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital issued an open verdict.

In the open verdict, the Magistrate issued an order to refer the specimens of the girl's body to the Government Analyst for a report.

Chamodi Sandeepani Jayaratne (21) who was admitted to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital on Wednesday (12) to obtain treatment for a stomach ailment reportedly died after being administered a medication via a cannula.