Feb 15, Colombo: The Court of Appeal today ordered the Director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and its Judicial Medical Officer to appear before the court on the 17th of this month in connection with a petition seeking an order to re-test the body of a deceased person who was found to be infected with COVID-19 after his death.

The Court of Appeal ordered the two respondents to refrain from taking further action regarding the body of the 26–year–old man attached to the Kotelawala Defense College. The court ordered to suspend the last rites of the deceased who had been identified as a Covid-19 patient following his sudden death.

The order was given by a panel of judges comprising Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal Arjuna Obeysekera and Mayadunne Correa today after considering a petition filed by Mohamed Ebra Lebbe Mohamed Hakeem, a resident of Trincomalee.

The petitioner stated that his 26 year old son Mohammad Hakeem Mohammad Tilshad died on January 31 after being admitted to the Kalubowila Hospital, Colombo South and a PCR test conducted by the Kotelawala Defense College after the sudden death of his son, who was in good health, revealed that he was infected with COVID19.

The individual had filed a petition seeking another PCR test as he had strong suspicions about the report. The petitioner has filed the petition requesting that the body of the deceased be released to the respondents for re-examination by PCR.

His body is currently being kept at the Kalubowila Hospital morgue.

The Judicial Medical Officer of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe, Director of the hospital, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister of Health, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and the Director General of Health Services have been named as respondents in the petition.

President’s Counsel Faizer Mustafa appeared in court today on behalf of the petitioner.