– post mortem reveals
Police are now treating the death of HIV counsellor/tester Seeraj Persaud as a murder/robbery after a post-mortem examination (PME) yesterday revealed that he died as a result of manual strangulation.
Persaud, 42, of Lot 8 Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo was found in a crouched position on the floor of his office at the Parika Health Centre around 1.50 pm on Monday. Someone assumed to be a client was the last person seen entering the office. No one saw the ‘client’ leave and because of the confidentiality involved with HIV testing, the names of clients are not recorded.
Persaud who has given some three years of voluntary service to the health facility was discovered dead when one of two women waiting for counselling sessions, opened his closed door after repeated knocking went unanswered. The woman informed another volunteer that the man was lying on the floor and on checking the gruesome discovery was made. His laptop, a cellular phone, wallet and a bunch of keys were missing.
Ranks from the Parika Police Station located obliquely opposite the health facility were then informed.
The dead man’s brother Boyo said that when he saw the body at the Georgetown Hospital mortuary yesterday, there were black and blue marks around the neck. These, he said, were not evident when he saw the body minutes after it had been found. He said he had also noticed several foot prints on a wall near the body.
He also indicated to this newspaper, that he had removed Persaud’s watch and a silver band but was not certain if he was wearing his gold chain at the time. Boyo had told Stabroek News on the day of the incident that he noticed “a fine line” around his brother’s neck.
Sources close to the investigation said that Persaud had scratches on his face as well and the PME also showed that he sustained blunt trauma.
Boyo told Stabroek News that he and other relatives are still in shock. He recalled that he was in his business place at the Parika Market when someone informed him that Persaud had been stabbed. He said when he got to the health centre his brother had not been stabbed, but was dead.
Persaud spent some 18 years in Russia where he studied medicine before returning here in 2002. He was stationed at the health centre for the last three years.
Up to press time last evening police had not identified any suspects in the matter which has left Persaud’s co-workers traumatised and calling for regional health officials to put the necessary security measures in place.
According to the facility’s health visitor Linda Johnson, there is no security guard in the compound from 7 am to 3 pm and this is dangerous, not only to staff but patients. She explained that a guard works from 3 pm and another guard takes over from 11 pm up to 7 am the next day. She said that this situation also exists on weekends and holidays.
“The guards are put there to secure the building but what about us [the staff and others using the facility]?” she questioned.
Johnson said that on numerous occasions she had written to regional health officials asking for some form of security during the day but never got a favourable response.
On Monday, following the discovery of Persaud’s body, she added, two officials visited the health centre and she again expressed her concerns to them about the security situation during the day and reminded them of the numerous letters she had written on the subject.
She said the officials told her that “they will look into the matter” but for her that is not a positive response.
Johnson stressed to this newspaper that persons working at the facility are scared because anyone could walk off the road and enter the compound without any restrictions. She said that this is a serious situation that needs urgent attention not only from the Regional Health Officials but also the Ministry of Health.
She told Stabroek News that yesterday she had to attend a meeting at another location but because the staff was so terrified of staying in the compound unprotected she instructed them to close up and go home at lunch once the doctor had carried out his duties.
Persaud’s brother, Boyo also spoke about the lack of security at the Parika Health Centre. The man said that there is a guard at a GT&T exchange location nearby but none at the medical facility which is visited by many persons each day.
Boyo said that this situation needs to be addressed urgently and security cameras need to be installed. He said that since Persaud’s door had to be kept close because of the sensitive nature surrounding the sessions, a camera should have been installed at his door.
Persaud will be buried on Monday, a day after relatives commemorate his mother’s one-year death anniversary.