An account of proceedings before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court describes orders for a post-mortem examination, the preservation of medical evidence and further forensic testing following the death of a female patient at an Asiri hospital in Colombo.
COLOMBO — A woman’s death while receiving treatment at an Asiri hospital in Colombo has become the subject of reported judicial and police proceedings after her daughter complained that the hospital had failed to release the body for two days, according to information supplied to The Morning Telegraph.
The account states that the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court directed a post-mortem examination, ordered the preservation of medical evidence and required the body to be released to the deceased’s daughter following the examination.
Samples reportedly collected during the post-mortem have also been referred to the Government Analyst for further examination because the cause of death has not yet been conclusively established.
The woman, described as a resident of the Nawala area in Rajagiriya, has not been identified in the material provided.
The Morning Telegraph has not independently obtained the court order, police complaint, post-mortem findings or Government Analyst’s report. The account therefore remains subject to confirmation through the relevant official records.
No finding of medical negligence or criminal wrongdoing has been established by the information currently available.
Daughter’s Complaint Leads to Court Proceedings
According to the source material, the deceased woman’s daughter lodged a complaint with the Maradana Police after the hospital allegedly retained her mother’s body for two days following her death.
The complaint reportedly led Police Constable Prasanna of the Maradana Police to place the circumstances before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court under Section 373(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979.
The material identifies Acting Magistrate Premalal Athukorala as having considered the police submissions in proceedings bearing case number 49085/01/26.
According to the account, the court issued three principal directions:
- Post-mortem examination: The deceased was to be referred immediately to the Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Colombo for an examination to determine the cause of death.
- Release of the body: The remains were to be handed over to the daughter after the post-mortem examination had been completed.
- Identifiable burial: The body was to be buried at Borella Public Cemetery in an identifiable location, with a special marker.
The reported burial direction would allow the location to be identified if further examination or lawful exhumation became necessary.
Such a precaution does not, by itself, establish that medical negligence or criminal conduct occurred.
The precise legal reasoning underlying the reported orders would need to be confirmed from the court record.
Police Reportedly Secure Hospital Medical Records
Following the reported judicial directions, Maradana Police are said to have obtained the deceased woman’s medical documentation from Asiri Hospital.
The records reportedly included treatment notes, the patient’s bed-head ticket (BHT) and other documents relating to her admission and treatment.
According to the supplied account, the documents were subsequently forwarded to the Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Colombo for consideration during the post-mortem investigation.
Medical records can be important in a death investigation because they allow forensic specialists to examine the patient’s condition, treatment history, clinical observations, administered medication and the sequence of events preceding death.
The source states that the post-mortem examination was subsequently completed at the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer’s Office.
However, its findings have not been independently verified, and no final medical cause of death has been established in the documents available for this report.
Tissue and Organ Samples Reportedly Sent for Further Testing
The source material states that internal organ samples were referred to the Government Analyst for toxicological and other scientific examinations following the post-mortem.
These examinations are reportedly intended to help determine whether medication, chemical substances or infection may have contributed to the woman’s death.
The collection of samples does not establish that any such factor was present or responsible.
Further laboratory analysis may help forensic specialists evaluate possible causes, depending on the samples obtained and the tests undertaken.
The report also refers to tissue samples reportedly collected from open wounds observed on the deceased’s body.
According to the source, investigators are seeking to establish the nature and possible origin of those wounds, including whether they were related to medical treatment or other factors.
The existence of wounds alone does not establish negligence. Their cause, timing and medical significance require assessment by qualified forensic specialists using clinical records and examination findings.
The Government Analyst’s findings and the final judicial medical conclusions will be central to establishing whether the circumstances of the death require further investigation.
Questions Concerning the Hospital’s Handling of the Death
The reported detention of the body for two days has also prompted questions about the administrative procedures followed after the patient’s death.
The account does not establish why the body was not released during that period, whether a legal or medical reason was given, or what communications took place between the hospital and the deceased woman’s family.
Those details are important before determining whether the delay resulted from procedural requirements, disagreement, an administrative problem or another cause.
The source identifies Dr. Samanthi de Silva as a senior executive responsible for overseeing clinical and medical operations across the Asiri hospital network in Colombo, including Asiri Central Hospital, Asiri Surgical Hospital and Asiri Medical Hospital.
It also refers to her medical education at the University of Colombo and postgraduate qualifications in health management.
Her current position and specific responsibilities in relation to the patient’s treatment or subsequent administration have not been independently confirmed.
No information supplied establishes that Dr. de Silva personally participated in the woman’s treatment, directed the retention of her body or committed any professional or administrative wrongdoing.
Nevertheless, the circumstances described in the complaint warrant clarification of the hospital’s procedures concerning patient deaths, communication with relatives and the release of medical information to investigating authorities.
Among the matters requiring explanation are the reasons for the reported two-day delay, the process followed in preserving medical records and whether the family received timely information.
A response from Asiri Hospital would be important in establishing its account of those events.
Earlier Medicine Pricing Proceedings Involving Asiri
The source also draws attention to separate proceedings concerning the sale of medicines above government-regulated maximum retail prices at Asiri-related institutions.
Such matters must be distinguished from the present death investigation.
Reporting published in November 2025 described proceedings involving Asiri Medical Hospital and alleged breaches of medicines pricing regulations, including an appeal relating to a case in which the hospital had reportedly admitted selling 11 pharmaceutical items above the stipulated maximum retail prices.
That account stated that the Court of Appeal dismissed a petition brought by hospital directors on a procedural ground.
The outcome of any subsequent proceedings would require confirmation from current court records.
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority regulates medicine pricing and has encouraged patients to report instances where medicines are sold above approved maximum retail prices.
These pricing matters are separate from the reported death and do not establish any connection with its cause or the medical treatment provided to the deceased woman.
Nevertheless, both subjects illustrate the importance of effective oversight and clearly documented procedures within private healthcare institutions.
Private Hospital Regulation and Patient Protection
Sri Lanka’s private healthcare sector operates within a regulatory framework established under the Private Medical Institutions (Registration) Act No. 21 of 2006.
The Private Health Services Regulatory Council is responsible for functions relating to the registration, regulation, monitoring and inspection of private medical institutions, including the development of standards for patient care.
Its responsibilities also include monitoring quality assurance arrangements and standards applicable to private healthcare providers.
Where complaints concern medical care, administrative procedures or patient safety, the relevant authorities must determine which matters require clinical review, regulatory action or criminal investigation.
An unexplained death does not automatically establish medical negligence.
Equally, when a family questions the circumstances of a death, transparent procedures for preserving evidence and conducting independent forensic examinations are essential to maintaining confidence in the investigation.
In this instance, the reported judicial intervention is significant because it provides for medical examination and the preservation of material that may assist in determining what occurred.
Government Analyst’s Findings Awaited
The source states that the Government Analyst’s report and the complete judicial medical findings are expected to be submitted to court.
No confirmed date for their submission has been provided.
Those reports may help determine whether further medical, scientific or police inquiries are necessary.
Until the results are available and assessed through the appropriate legal process, conclusions about the cause of death, the significance of the reported wounds or any possible shortcomings in treatment would be premature.
The Morning Telegraph has not established whether Asiri Hospital has issued a response to the allegations concerning the handling of the body or the procedures followed after the patient’s death.
The hospital’s account, the family’s complaint, the authenticated court orders and the final forensic findings will all be important to determining the circumstances.
For the deceased woman’s family, the immediate concern remains an authoritative explanation of how and why she died.
The next significant development will be the submission and consideration of the forensic findings, which should help determine whether the investigation can be concluded or requires further action.
