The untimely death of Sandeepa from the Ruhuna Faculty of Agriculture, following an uncertain illness that began with a blister under the tongue.

The untimely death of a beautiful university student, who had secured university admission with a thousand hopes in her eyes, has deeply shocked the entire Kegalle area. The young woman who unfortunately passed away due to an illness while studying at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ruhunu University, is twenty-four-year-old Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage Suhari Sandeepa.

Regarding her death, an open verdict was recently pronounced by the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, Mr. R.U.D.K. Amarasinghe.

Suhari, who resided in Parangampala, Ranwala, Kegalle, was the eldest daughter who strived to advance her family. Her father, a letter sorting officer at the Kegalle Main Post Office, and her mother, a homemaker, had put in great effort to provide a good education for all four of their children. In addition to Suhari, her younger brother is pursuing higher education at Ruhunu University, her only younger sister at Wayamba University, and her other younger brother is studying at a prominent boys' school in Kegalle. Suhari, who received her primary education from Ranwala National School and excelled in her Advanced Level examinations at Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, entered the Kamburupitiya Agricultural Unit two years ago with great hopes, bringing tears of joy to her parents' eyes.

However, the unfortunate turn in her life began with a subtle blister under her tongue and a subsequent infection. This caused her severe difficulty even in eating. Although Kegalle General Hospital was located very close, about two kilometers from her home, her mother admitted her to Kegalle Ayurvedic Hospital, which was about one kilometer away. After receiving inpatient treatment there for about a week, she was further treated at home by an Ayurvedic doctor from the Ratnapura area. Nevertheless, due to not opting for Western medical treatment, her condition worsened day by day, and eventually, her mother had to resort to feeding her only liquids and milk through a tube.

As her condition became extremely serious, Suhari developed severe breathing difficulties. Even at such a moment, bypassing the very nearby Kegalle General Hospital, her family arranged to take her to Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, located about 25 kilometers away, by paying twenty thousand rupees for a private ambulance. After battling between life and death for three days amidst intensive care and treatment there, this young university student finally passed away. The post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr. M.P.I.W. Thanthrimale, the Judicial Medical Officer at Kurunegala Hospital, and considering the mother's statements and medical reports, an open verdict was pronounced as no definite cause of death could be determined.

The untimely demise of this intelligent young woman has deeply shocked and surprised even the hospital staff. Why her parents decided to rely solely on Ayurvedic treatments and not admit her to a nearby Western hospital until her condition worsened has raised a serious question among doctors and nurses alike. Finally, her body was handed over to her father, Mr. Charles, and her last rites were performed at the Kegalle Municipal Public Cemetery. The fine line between traditional beliefs and timely medical decisions, at the cost of yet another innocent life, has left an indelible and painful lesson for the entire society.