DID THE VACCINATION CAUSE LITTLE AMASHIYA’S DEATH?
The death of little Tishani Amashiya, a one and half yearold daughter of Sajin Kalpana Fernando (23) and Saman Ranawaka (30) of Thalwila, Marawila is shrouded with suspicion, doubt and allegation of medical negligence. While the parents and relatives are shocked with the unexpected death of their only child on the night of the vaccination, the doctors and medical experts have proved that the death was not connected to the vaccination or any other issues relating to the vaccination clinic.
“This is our only child and we still can’t believe
I don’t think that the vaccination could be a reason for the death of this child and a possibility to cause death due to a vaccination is very rare,” Dr.W. A. Hemantha Fernando, Medical Officer Mahawewa, said
what happened to her,” says Sajin Kalpana the mother shaken by the sudden loss of her daughter.
“We were overwhelmed by joy when we had this child but our happiness lasted only for one and half years,” the weeping mother said in tears.
“My mother and I took our little daughter for the triple vaccination on February 28. After the vaccination we were there for about 30 minutes. We were advised to give a pill if she develops a temperature,” the mother narrated the incident.
According to the mother, little Amashiya was given a pill as there was slight temperature and after that the little daughter was playing about as usual. “For dinner she ate some biscuits around 7 p.m. and around 10 p.m. she ate fried potatoes,” she said.
“Around 1 a.m. we felt that our daughter was finding it difficult to breath and she looked pale and we rushed her to the Marawila Hospital. As soon as she was admitted she was given first aid and the doctors massaged her. She was given life support but everything failed,” the mother said in a desperate tone.
“We saw that her lips, abdomen and sole were bluish and we doubt about the vaccination she was given,” the mother charged alleging her death to be due to the vaccination she was given. Saman Ranawaka, Amashiya’s father who is in doubt about the vaccination his daughter was given says that they would make an appeal to the President and the Health Minister to initiate an inquiry into the incident.
“We know that our child is dead and we cannot bring her back to life but we do not want this to happen to another child,” the parents said.
However the doctors have denied allegations that the death could be connected to the vaccination she was given. “I don’t think that the vaccination could be a reason for the death of this child and a possibility to cause death due to a vaccination is very rare,” Dr. W. A. Hemantha Fernando, Medical Officer Mahawewa, said.
“If there is an allergy it could happen within 30 minutes and we usually keep the children for about 30 minutes after the vaccination. But in this case the child has died after 14 hours,” Dr. Fernando said. The Judicial Medical Officer of Chilaw Hospital Dr. D. K. Wijewardena who conducted the post mortem ruled that death was caused due to congestion of food. This has proved that the death was not due to any allergy.