By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe - Puttalam
Oct. 20 (Daily Mirror) - It is reported that Isuru Hewakottage, a veterinary surgeon serving in the North Western Wildlife Zone, has submitted the relevant letters to the Director General of Wildlife Conservation to resign from his post.
It is said that Hewakottage has taken this step following allegations made on social media after the tusker Kavantissa died while receiving treatment under his care.
Isuru Hewakottage joined the Department of Wildlife Conservation as a wildlife veterinary surgeon in 2016 and served at Pandulagama in Anuradhapura until 2018. He was subsequently transferred to the Nikaweratiya Wildlife Unit, after which he continued to serve in the North Western Wildlife Zone, carrying out extensive work to save the lives of wild elephants and tuskers, as well as various other animals.
He is well known as a veterinary surgeon who has developed expertise in rescuing turtles that encounter various dangers at sea and releasing them back into the ocean after treatment.
However, strong public criticism had been directed at veterinary surgeon Isuru Hewakottage over allegations that, although he had treated elephants, including Thekka Raja and Bhathiya, before treating Kavantissa when they fell ill, he had failed to save their lives.
Under these circumstances, strong public criticism also emerged, alleging that the tusker Kavantissa had met an unfortunate death due to a lack of proper care by veterinary surgeon Isuru Hewakottage, who had been assigned to treat the elephant for the first time.
However, according to information reported so far, all treatments administered to Kavantissa had reportedly been given in accordance with the prescribed dosages.
Tharaka Prasad, an experienced and skilled veterinary surgeon who has retired from the Department of Wildlife Conservation and previously served as Director of the Wildlife Health, stated that wildlife veterinary surgeons do not administer medication arbitrarily while carrying out their duties.
He stated that a veterinary surgeon can do nothing other than administer treatment using the prescribed medication dosages, and that Isuru Hewakottage had also merely provided treatment in accordance with the relevant procedures.
Hewakottage reportedly stated that the continuous public criticism following Kavantissa's death had seriously affected both his professional duties and his personal life. Despite having performed his duties with dedication, he had decided to leave his position in response to the allegations raised by the public.
Although he has stated that he will leave the North Western Wildlife Veterinary Unit, it is reported that he has not yet formally notified the Department of Wildlife Conservation of his resignation from the Department itself.
An attempt was made to contact Ranjan Marasinghe, Director General of Wildlife Conservation, to find out what action would be taken in this regard, but the attempt was unsuccessful.