Deadly illness in pre-schools

These days, because of an illness, children of pre-school going age of the Southern Province 2 children who displayed signs of an infectious condition of the heart (Myocarditis) have died.

4 year old Chanul Chathusa and 5 year old Ashini Maduwanthi of Baddegama area attending pre-school who were admitted to Baddegama District Hospital have died in this manner.

Other than these 2 cases, another 3 pre-school children were admitted in a serious condition to Baddegama District Hospital after which they were transferred to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.

As the cause of this sickness is not quite clear, by now a special team of doctors have begun investigations on this matter.
Deceased 4 year old Chanul Chathusa was a resident of Baddegama Bambarawana Kanda, Ganegama North while deceased 5 year old Ashini Maduwanthi was living in Batabedda, Ethkandura. The two of them were from two different pre-schools.

The only child Chanul Chathusa had been suffering from headache for some days and had attended the pre-school last Monday in the company of his mother. The child who rushed to the classroom after complaining to his mother of a chest pain became seriously ill. After having been taken in a three-wheeler to Baddegama District Hospital, he was transferred to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital for further treatment. The child's parents say that the child passed away within 24 hours when undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit.

The small girl Ashini Maduwanthi had become ill 3 days after this incident. She had been treated by 2 doctors in Baddegama.

Two children of the same age dying within a week has caused various rumours to spread speedily around those areas by now.  

Doctors have confirmed from medical reports that the cause of the death of the male child of the 2 children is cardio-respiratory arrest due to acute Myocarditis which is an infectious condition of the heart. The cause of the death of the girl Ashini Maduwanthi has still not been diagnosed and the results it is understood,will be notified later. The reports however in this connection say that an infection has found its way into the spinal cord connected to her brain.

What the Galle District Health Services Director Dr. P.K. Wijeywickrema informed the media was that "the story that the children died because of an infectious germ and unidentified illness cannot be accepted. During the past 6 months 6 children in the area died. That is because of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea conditions. Those children have died not because of unidentified illnesses. Blood samples of the two children who have died recently have been obtained. It is only after receiving the reports on those blood samples the health condition could be ascertained. These days a condition of fever also is seen circulating. An examination is being carried out about this.

Photos -- Janath de Silva