A special meeting was held at the Kalmunai Municipal Council Auditorium on April 8 to discuss steps to be taken regarding the relief to be given for the people who fell seriously ill after consuming a food item distributed among them at a religious event at Vanagamuwa in the Irakkamam DS division in the Ampara district on April 5.
The steps to be taken to prevent similar incidents in future was also discussed.
The Chief Minister said Health Department officials, Local Authorities, Divisional Secretariat, Civil Security Service and Members of the CBOs did everything possible to provide relief to the victims.
Three died and over 950 including children were hospitalised in the incident.
The deceased were identified as Aboobacker Cassim Bawa, a father of 11, Abdul Majeed Haleema, a mother of two, and Kalanderlebbe Mariyam Kandu, mother of five. The Chief Minister and team of officials visited the Irakkamam Government Hospital on the day and spoke to the victims. They also inquired about the shortcomings in the hospital.
Eastern Province Health, Indigenous Medicine, Social Services, Probation Child Care and Rural Electrification Minister A.L.M.Nazeer, Provincial Chief Ministry’s Secretary U.L.A.Azees, Health Ministry’s Secretary K. Karunakaran, Kalmunai RDHS Dr. A.L. Alawdeen, Health Department officials, LG officials, Ampara Disaster Management Centre officials and Provincial Councillors participated in the meeting.