Dead child’s parents to sue hospital for negligence

Legal action would be taken soon against those who were responsible for the death of five-year-old Buddhini Kaushalya who died while being treated at the Nawaloka Hospital, the lawyers for the dead child's parents said.

“We will file action after studying the evidence given at the magistrate’s court inquiry into the child's death,” lawyer Raveendranath Dabare who was watching the interests of the child's parents said.

After the inquiry, the Colombo Fort Magistrate held that Buddhini's death was due to a brain and heart failure.

Hospital doctors and the Judicial Medical Officers gave evidence at the inquiry.

According to the parents the child was admitted to the hospital on January 31 and was diagnosed to be suffering from Rett Syndrome.

They alleged that the child died at the MRI scanning room due to the negligence of the staff but the hospital authorities denied the allegation saying she died at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit while being treated for epileptic fits after the child had been transferred there from the MRI scanner.

The Kompannya Veediya Police started the investigation following the child’s father complaining to the Police that his child died while a MRI scan was being done due to negligence of the hospital staff.

The child was pronounced dead on February 6.

Counsel Raveendranath Dabare with Rushanka Samaranayake appeared for the child’s parents.

A team of lawyers led by C.R. de Silva PC., appeared for the Nawaloka Hospital.