Sandamini's Death at IDH Hospital: Vaccine or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever?

The sudden demise of a twenty-three-year-old young woman, who harbored a thousand hopes for the future, has now shaken the entire nation. Sandamini Divyanjali, residing in Ethulmudali Gama, Adagala Road, Matugama, was the beloved daughter of Mrs. Iresha Nimanthi, a computer data operator at the Matugama Srilangama Depot, and Mr. T.A. Tushara Dilhara, a planter.

Her only sibling was her nine-year-old school-going brother, Tharindu Poorna. She pursued her education at Matugama C.W.W. Kannangara National School, where the current Minister of Health also studied. During her school days, she demonstrated remarkable talents as a President's Guide and a member of the school's brass band. A graduate in Business and Information Management, Sandamini was employed at a private institution in the Colombo area,

and was dedicated to realizing her dream of a successful future by studying Japanese on weekends.

The tragedy began on the 12th when she informed her mother by phone that she was feeling feverish. At her mother's request, she visited a private medical center in Navinna with a friend, where a doctor diagnosed her with dengue and immediately advised hospitalization. Accordingly, she was admitted to IDH Hospital around 8:00 PM that evening for further treatment. Her condition was reportedly improving with medical treatment, and it is said that doctors had even recommended her discharge on the morning of the 14th.

However, while preparing for discharge, she experienced vomiting. As treatment, the hospital staff administered medication, after which she developed sudden complications. It is reported that she exhibited symptoms similar to epilepsy, lost consciousness, and her bodily functions rapidly deteriorated, astonishing even the doctors, and by 6:00 AM on the 14th, she had passed away.

Her parents are deeply distraught upon seeing the lifeless body of their daughter, who was expected to recover and return home within a day.

With this death, a serious doubt has arisen as to whether she died due to dengue hemorrhagic fever or due to poisoning from an administered injection. According to hospital sources, she was given an injection named 'Ondansetron'. A significant point is that, according to a report from Kandy National Hospital, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had decided to remove this injection from hospitals even before the 12th. Medical associations are currently questioning whether Sandamini was administered a medication recommended for removal from use.

Currently, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority has taken steps to remove 10 types of drugs imported by the company that supplied this injection during the years 2024-2025 from hospitals. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority and the Medical Research Institute have separately launched investigations to ascertain the exact cause of Sandamini's death, and their reports are expected within approximately two weeks.

This incident has also rekindled memories of Chamodi Sandeepani, a young woman who died in 2023 at Peradeniya Hospital after being administered the 'Ceftriaxone' antibiotic injection. The controversial statements made by then Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in Parliament are also being recalled by the public at this moment. The fear remains among the people that if substandard drugs continue to exist within the hospital system, whose life will be claimed next? Sandamini's family, as well as the people of the country, are awaiting a fair and impartial investigation into her demise.