WHO Report On Rubella Vaccine Incident Handover To The Minister

The WHO(World Health Organization) Report of the inquiry regarding "Rubella" Vaccine Incident which caused the death of a Girl Student and Sicken another 29 Students in Southern Province handover to the Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva yesterday(29).

Two WHO Doctors who are Specialized On Virology and Vaccines Dr.Madav Ram and Dr.Stephane Guichard conducted this Inquiry in Matara District of the Southern Province from Last Monday(23).They also recorded a statement from the Parents of the deceased Girl Student Pashala Hansani(12)who died after given the Rubella Vaccine on 19th.Twenty other Girl Students from the same school where Pashala Studied were hospitalized due to Alergies they developed.

The Findings and Recommendations of the WHO Report are due to announce at the Press Briefing scheduled to be held tomorrow in the Ministry Of Health.Meanwhile the Report of the Inquiry held on the Rubella Incident by the Team Of Epidemiologists already handover to the Health Minister on Last Monday and a Special Inquiry conducted by the Special Investigations Unit of the Health Ministry on this regard is due to handover soon Ministry Sources said today.

Action on those who are responsible for the Incident will be taken After Examining these Three Inquiry Reports Ministry Sources stressed.

Twenty Six Sea Tigers And One Navy Sailor Killed During Fresh Attacks In Mulativue

Twenty Six Sea Tigers and One Navy Sailor were killed during the confrontation erupted between the Sri Lankan Navy and the LTTE Sea Tigers this morning at Chalai Area in the District of Mulativue Sea Tiger Leader "Maran" was among those killed Navy Sources said.

Four Sea Tiger Boats were destroyed during the attack and Three Navy Sailors got injured Navy Sources further said.

WHO Specialists To Take Few More Days To Conclude Their Inquiry On Rubella Incident

Two Specialist Doctors attached to the World Health Organization who are Probing an Inquiry on the Death of a Girl Student in Matara of the Southern Province who died after receiving the Rubella Vaccine were informed to the Ministry Of Health that they will take few more days to conclude their Inquiry.

The WHO duo are earlier due to submit their Inquiry Report to the Health Minister by Tomorrow.However due to the need for conducting this Inquiry in Different Angles they take few more days to conclude their Inquiry Director General Of Health Services Dr.Ajith Mendis said.

Virology and Vaccine Specialists Dr.Madhav Ram of India and Dr.Stefan Guichard of France are in Matara these days to conduct this Inquiry .They already collected a statement from the Parents of the deceased Girl Student on that Incident.

The Report of the Inquiry conducted by a Team of Specialists of the Epidemiology Unit stated that Some Kind of Medical Negligance May caused the Death of the Girl Student.The report cleared all allegations made against the quality of the Rubella Vaccine used for the Rubella Vaccination Programme here by saying that the Vaccines are in good quality ,Good Storage Condition and not expired as some Unions charged.The Special Investigations Unit of the Health Ministry too are conducting a seperate Inquiry on this matter.

LTTE Stormed In To A Remote Village In Eastern Sri Lanka Killing Five Farmers

Five Paddy Farmers were Killed and another Two were wounded when a Group of LTTE Terrorists stormed into the Dehiwatta Village of the Serunuwara in Eastern Sri Lanka last night.

According to the Police LTTE Terrorists who were armed with T-56 Assault Riffles had forcibly taken Seven Farmers who are looking after their Cultivation and shot and killed Five of them.Two injured farmers were admitted to the Serunuwara Hospital.Their Conditions are stable according to the Hospital Authorities.

LTTE attcked the same town of Dehiwatta on 06th of April 1985 killing fifteen Farmers.

Nintey Three Drugs And Surgical Items Are Out Of Stock In Government Hospitals

ninety Eight essential Drugs,Surgical and Laboratory Items are out of stock in Government Hospitals and the Medical Supplies Division(MSD) since last week it has been revealed.

Anti Biotic Drugs including Amoxacylin Tablets,Chloramphenicol Injection(500mg),Cephalexine Syrup, Salbutamole Tablets and Injections, Captropil Tablets(25mg),Losarten Pottasium Tablets(50mg) Surgical Items including different sizes of Sterile Surgical Gloves(Latex),Blood Bags Double and Triple,Laboratory Items including Ammonium Hydroxide,Silver Nitrate ,Pottasium Chloride are among these out of stock items according to the MSD.
Altogether 39 Drug Items,46 Surgical Items and 13 Laboratory Items were out of stock in these institutions.

According to the Director of the Medical Supplies Division Dr.A.S.M Weerabandara these Items were out of stock since Last Monday(16th).The list of these out of stock Pharmaceuticals is published in official web site of the Health Ministry www.health.gov.lk .

Trincomalee Food Poisoning-Majority Who Were Hospitalized Not Poisoned?

One Died and Around 262 People including School Children were Hospitalized yesterday in the Town of Trincomalee of the Eastern Province due to food poisoning.

However later in the day it was found that only Four Fishermen including the deceased were food poisoning after consuming the contaminated Egg Buns and Fish Buns bought from a Bakery in Trincomalee Town.260 out of 262 admitted to the Trincomalee General Hospital were discharged yesterday evening after found they are not showing any Symptoms related to food poisoning.Majority of these are School Children who were admitted after their Principles Fear them by telling those who consumed Bread and Buns that day should be careful following the food poisoning case.
According to the Ministry Of Health Most of these School Children came to the Hospital by stating they felt sick after consuming Buns but Doctors discharged them later after proved nothing wrong with them.Meanwhile another Three Fishermen who are consumed Egg and Fish Buns were still in the Hospital along with two School Children and their conditions are stable according to the Hospital Sources.
The Bakery which sold these contaminated Buns was sealed yesterday as soon as this food poisoning case was reported and the samples of the Bun Products are due to send to the Medical Research Institute in Colombo this evening to identify the Germ contaminated with.Ministry Of Health has already instructed the Trincomalee Provincial Health Director to take stern action against those who are responsible for selling contaminated Buns.

Another Two Girl Students Were Hospitalized For Allergic Symptoms Of Rubella

While the Inquiry Report on death of the Girl Student of Saint Thomas Girl's School at Matara who died after receiving Rubella Vaccine is to be handover to the Health Minister by tomorrow another two Girl Students were hospitalized yesterday after showing allergic symptoms towards the Rubella Vaccine.

The two Girl Students one is from North Central Province and other one is from Matara in the southern Sri Lanka are still receiving treatment and their conditions are not serious according to the Hospital Sources.

Meanwhile During the Inquiry held on Rubella Vaccine Incident which One Girl Student died and 24 other Girl Students were affected revealed that the Three Medical Officers Of Health(MOH) attached to the Matara MOH Office which was conducted the Rubella Vaccination Programme were not there at the School to supervise the Immunization Programme.'Normally this kind of Vaccination is conducting under the Supervision of a MOH.But this occasion none of the three MOH'S were present there and they sent Registered Medical Officer(RMO) to Immunizing the children" Health Secretery Dr.Athula Kahanda Liyanage said today.

"We are looking into these lapses also.However a stern action over those who are responsible for Vaccine Failure over 25 Girl Students will be taken after examining of the Inquiry Report"he stressed.The Report of the Inquiry conducted by a team of Epidemiologists of the Epidemiologists Unit is to be handover to the Sri Lankan Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva by tomorrow morning.

The funeral of the deceased Girl Student who became a victim of the Rubella Vaccine Pashala Hansani(12) was held this evening at Matara.The National Rubella Vaccination Programme was temporarily suspended since last friday following the Student's death.

Meanwhile Health Minister Nimal Siripala who is also the President of the Executive Committee of the World Health Organization(WHO)Invited Three Specialists on Vaccines to the Island to conduct an Independant Inquiary on the Rubella Vaccination Incident and already one Indian Specialist arrived to the Island this evening.Other two specialists are due to arrive here by tomorrow.