The death of a 27-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child during childbirth at the Mannar District General Hospital has triggered widespread outrage, leading to protests and multiple investigations by health and law enforcement authorities.
The mother, an Eelam Tamil resident from Mannar was admitted to the hospital for childbirth on Monday night (19 November). She went into labour on Tuesday, during which both the mother and the baby were pronounced dead.
The Ministry of Health has since launched a formal investigation into the incident, with Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announcing the probe via a statement on X. In parallel, the Mannar Police has initiated its investigation. A magisterial inquiry is underway, and the post-mortem examination will be conducted by the Jaffna Hospital's Judicial Medical Officer (JMO).
The tragedy sparked protests outside the Mannar General Hospital on Wednesday (20 November), as locals demanded accountability and justice for the deaths. The protest, which began at 4:30 PM, saw participants raising slogans calling for the arrest of those responsible and changes to the hospital administration.
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The demonstration escalated when protestors attempted to block the hospital’s main road in the pouring rain, leading to the deployment of riot police and Sri Lanka's notorious Special Task Force. The protest was further complicated when two former parliamentary candidates from rival political parties joined the demonstration, leading to accusations of politicizing the tragedy. This caused tension among the protestors, with arguments breaking out over the involvement of political figures.
A high-level discussion involving the Mannar District Governor, representatives of the Ministry of Health, lawyers, religious leaders, and the deceased woman’s relatives took place to address the demands. The mother of the deceased recounted the events leading to her daughter's death and urged the authorities to find lasting solutions.
After two hours of discussions, the Northern Province's Director of Health Services assured the protestors that investigations would be completed within three days. A written promise was also provided, committing to appropriate action against any negligent doctors. Although the woman’s relatives and many protestors accepted the assurance and left, others, influenced by political figures, continued to demand more concrete actions, creating further unrest.
The prolonged protest caused significant traffic disruptions on the main road near the hospital, with police eventually forcibly dispersing the remaining protestors. Two separate probes—one by the Ministry of Health and another by the provincial health director—are underway. Both are expected to provide clarity on the cause of death and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
This is the second death of a mother that occurred in Mannar. In July this year, Mariraj Sindhuja who gave birth at the hospital died reportedly due to the negligence of the medical staff. Her baby survived and the family protested similarly for days. Sindhuja's case is ongoing before Sri Lankan courts and no one has been brought to book yet. Despite taking part in several protests, Sindhuja's husband took his own life in August by consuming poison.
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