The Ministry of Health (MoH) continues to monitor a gastro-like illness affecting residents in Region One (Barima/Waini) even as new reports surface of recent deaths in the Moruca Sub-Region .
Minister within the MoH, Dr Bheri Ramsarran, told Stabroek News yesterday that he has observed reports in the media about new cases and had spoken to his staff at the Ministry, advising them “to get coordinates together” as the unit monitors the illness. He said some of the cases may be from the past but may have been reported as new cases. When questioned about the analyses of tests conducted on samples taken from affected persons in the area by health team officials who visited Region One last month, Ramsarran said that the Director of the Regional Health Services (RHS), Dr Narine Singh was dealing with the issue. When contacted yesterday, RHS staff told this newspaper that Dr Singh was on vacation leave.
This newspaper was informed by a resident in the Moruca Sub-Region yesterday that there had been three recent deaths within the past two weeks in the area. The resident said that the deceased were from the village of Kariaco, located several miles away from Santa Rosa along the Barama River. Two of the three persons were identified as Compton Toney and John Charles, both middle-age men who had been experiencing symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting prior to their deaths. The other person was identified as a toddler and according to a source at the Kumaka District Hospital, at Moruca, one of the two men was taken to that medical institution for treatment prior to his death.
Stabroek News understands that officials from the health department, including medex Lalita Rebeiro, who is attached to the hospital at Moruca, has since ventured into the Kariaco area to distribute medicine. Residents in the Moruca-Sub Region told this newspaper that the situation is worrisome noting that they are still to receive information on the results of sample tests conducted by a visiting RHS team last month. One resident informed that persons displaying symptoms of the ailment are still being admitted to the hospital at Moruca while there are also reports of similar cases at the Mabaruma District hospital. Attempts to obtain a comment from Regional Chairman Fermin Singh yesterday were in vain, while a staff member of the Administrative Office of Region One, located at Mabaruma, said that Regional Executive Officer for the region, Mary Williams was in Georgetown.
Early last month, this newspaper first reported on the deaths of four persons from the Moruca Sub-Region who had complained of feeling unwell and displayed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. These included 32-year-old Moruca resident Calvin Charlie and his 63-year-old mother, Helena Charlie, who passed away one week after her son died. At the time the Regional Chairman reported that two other persons from Port Kaituma, also in the North West District, succumbed to the ailment. Richard Allen, Vice chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council at Port Kaituma, had told this newspaper around that time that 15 persons were admitted to the hospital in the area suffering from dehydration due to diarrhoea and vomiting but were discharged a few days later after being treated.
Calvin Charlie’s death, according to his death certificate which was seen by this newspaper, was as a result of dehydration, even though he had been hospitalized for four days and given IV drips. His mother’s cause of death was listed as a result of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Several days later, 10 month- old Troydon Thornhill and pensioner Albert De La Cruz, both of Moruca, passed away after experiencing bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. The deaths of the two Moruca residents were disputed by the Ministry of Health, with the RHS Director stating that Thornhill’s death related to a kidney problem while De La Cruz succumbed to heart failure.
Dr Singh had said that the Moruca Sub-Region was usually affected by diarrhoea and vomiting whenever the rainy season begins as persons there usually use water from nearby creeks and rivers for cooking and consumption. He urged residents living in outlying areas to take precautionary measures where the use and consumption of water is concerned.
A Cuban doctor has since been placed at the hospital in Moruca while plans are in place to have students, who recently completed studies in Cuba, sent into outlying areas.
