NMRA employee dies due to alleged bacterial infection through cannula

An employee attached to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has died due to a bacterial infection believed to have entered via the patient’s cannula.

Accordingly, the patient who was around 33 years old, identified as a management assistant of the NMRA, had initially received treatment at a hospital in Galle almost two weeks ago, as he had been suffering from high fever.

A cannula was then inserted into his veins, through which he is believed to have developed a bacterial infection.

The deceased has subsequently been transferred to the Panadura Base Hospital, where doctors had tried to transfer him again, in light of the fact that he was a heart patient, however the patient had died prior to transfer.

According to Doctors of the Panadura Base Hospital, the cause of the death was an infection likely to have developed via the cannula administered.

However, it is yet to be ascertained the actual cause of death and therefore, the hospital management has launched an investigation into the incident, according to hospital sources.

The death of this individual has raised several concerns pertaining to Sri Lanka’s health sector, as it comes in the backdrop of that of 21-year-old Chamodi Snadeepani, who died while receiving treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to an antibiotic administered via a cannula.