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Last Updated : 2024-04-25 22:46:00
Commenting on the recent severe criticism by Prof A.H. Sheriffdeen on the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) staff over their failure to promptly treat a 10-year-old boy with a ruptured appendix, the Paediatric Surgeons collective at LRH said the events that had taken place were misrepresented by the professor.
Recently, in a letter addressed to the President of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka renowned retired Professor of Surgery A. H. Sheriffdeen requested an investigation into the incident of LRH’s failure to promptly treat the boy due to the non-availability of a senior surgeon at the hospital.
“I got a call from the boy’s father to say that the junior doctors had told the family that the appendix had ruptured, that the boy needed major surgery by a Consultant and there was no Consultant available. No solution was offered,” he said in the letter.
In response, the Paediatric Surgeons collective at LRH addressed the President of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka to clarify the situation.
The letter said in the case of this child, a routine clinical decision had been made to do the appendicectomy after fluid resuscitation and antibiotics as the child had been brought to hospital after three days of symptoms.
It said the Senior Resident (SR) of the unit having examined the child, had spent a significant period of time explaining the science behind the decision to the mother and an uncle on two separate occasions.
“It had nothing to do with a ‘non-availability’ of a consultant surgeon and we are at a loss to understand how such an idea had insinuated in to the parents’ perception as the cause for planned delay,” it said.
Accordingly, it was planned to operate on the child as the first case next morning and a successful laparoscopic appendicectomy had been carried out as promised. The child was discharged without complications after five days and was found to be fully recovered one week after discharge.
“However, it appears that long distance communications had somehow distorted the account of what had taken place. Prof Sheriffdeen unfortunately had to base his opinion and the letter on what reached his ears. The father who is supposed to have complained to him, we find, is abroad,” the Paediatric Surgeons collective at LRH said.
The statement has been signed by Dr. B.A.D. Jayawardana, Dr. A. Lamahewage, Dr. C. Suriarachchi, Dr. S. Abeygunasekera, Dr. M. Samarasinghe, Dr. P.D.R. Sisil Kumara and Dr. N. Wijekoon. (Thisari Walawege)
Sunil Palith Tuesday, 29 September 2020 11:19 AM
This should have been explained to the family by the on call consultant not the senior resident. That would have been a better outcome as a child is precious to any parent.
Dhammi Amaranth Tuesday, 29 September 2020 08:00 PM
Senior registrar is almost a consultant.I cannot find any fault for counseling parents.
Dr.Siri Tuesday, 29 September 2020 04:20 PM
It is mandatory that the on call Consultant should do a night ward round at all Government hospitals and this is ignored
Peri Tuesday, 29 September 2020 04:22 PM
All the Doctors in this country will let a patient die due to negligence and then cover it up with the help of other doctors.
bindu soyza Tuesday, 29 September 2020 08:09 PM
general slander ignorant of how the system of inquiry works.there are also many docs who will instigate and stir crisis just to bring down competitors . whats prof sherifdeen doing here - taking the holier than thou attitude /mr perfect. regretablly he is completely incapable of any major laparoscopic procedure himself the child benefitted from by conservatism.night laparoscopic surgery is ill advised due to complexity and the high level of resources required , often unavailable at night..
E Fernando Tuesday, 29 September 2020 07:59 PM
Such a serious case should have been handled by a doctor not a senior resident. People don't want to hear excuses by the LRH but measures taken to make sure doctors are always available at the hospital.
kasuntharaka Wednesday, 07 October 2020 11:05 AM
Senior reg.(SR) is a doctor who is almost a specialist doctor, get ur facts right.
Yehiya Wednesday, 30 September 2020 09:40 AM
A child died in the private hospital MRI machine. All cover up
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