The cremation of the doctor who died of COVID while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital was carried out in Dadella, Galle on Tuesday afternoon.
Doctor Gayan Dantanarayana (32) had been serving at the Ragama Hospital when he was infected with the virus.
The Maha Sangha performed religious rites at the Karapitiya Hospital. The doctors of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Galle Branch organised the final rites. The doctor’s wife and family members were present on the occasion. The doctor had been transferred to the Karapitiya Hospital on January 27 and was later shifted to its ICU. He had been connected to an ECMO respiratory machine and died while being connected to the machine. A hospital spokesperson said that he was the first doctor in Sri Lanka who died of COVID.
Karapitiya Hospital Assistant Judicial Medical Officer Samadhi Dandeniya conducted the post mortem. A group of GMOA doctors were present at the cremation.
Doctor Gayan Dantanarayana studied at an international school in Nugegoda and obtained a medical degree from a university in China. His father was a doctor.
