(Trinidad Guardian) A misdiagnosed illness went wrong at the beleaguered San Fernando General Hospital on Tuesday when a Penal teenager, who was being treated for leptospirosis, died from dengue haemorrhagic fever. Now the relatives of Christopher Lalchan, 18, are searching for answers. “Why did this happen. If he had been treated for the right medical condition he would have been alive today,” his grieving aunt Maria Beharry said yesterday at the family’s home at Wellington Road, Debe. Lalchan, a part time employee of the Penal Debe Regional Corporation, was the eldest son of Ann Marie Beharry, who was too distraught to speak. He was the brother of Kevin Jr and Chabie.
His aunt explained that on the afternoon of October 15, her nephew who was at a temple in Tabaquite, was taken to the hospital suffering with pain, fever and vomiting—all symptoms of dengue. She said no blood test was taken, but a doctor at the Accident and Emergency Department diagnosed him as either suffering from leptospirosis, an illness induced by a rat bite, a mild case of food poisoning or the virus. He was given panadol tablets and discharged at around 3 am on Sunday. Beharry said he continued feeling unwell over the weekend, but went back to the temple, where he was involved in the observation of Divali prayers.
“On Monday, he was at the Tabaquite temple, when he complained of pains about his body. He was reeling in pain, vomiting and had high fever. They called an ambulance which took about one and a half hours to reach to the hospital because the driver drove through the normal traffic, not using its sirens, Beharry explained. She said Lalchan stayed in the Accident and Emergency Department for a long time before he was attended to. “Christopher was then taken into a room in the A&E where he was placed on drips. Around 10 pm he was placed on a wheelchair and I wheeled him up to ward 12.”
Beharry said she left the hospital around 10.30 pm in order to beat the curfew, “only to get a call at 1 am to say he had passed.” “On Tuesday morning, when they wrapped his body on the ward, there was a note placed on his chest, giving his name, age and cause of death being due to leptospirosis. “However, on Tuesday evening, an autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was dengue haemorrhagic fever. This means they were treating this child for the wrong illness and we need to know why,” Beharry demanded. She said Lalchan, the first grand child, was the pride and joy of the family, especially his grandparents Mohan and Sabita with whom he grew up.
“I loved that child, he was like a son to me. He was only 18, did not live any kind of life and who knows what he could have grown up to be had he lived.” Beharry said they have spoken with someone in the employ of Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan and was given the assurance that an investigation would be launched. Chairman of the South Western Regional Health Authority Dr Lackram Bodoe is on vacation. Acting Chairman Anil Gosine could not be reached by telephone which went into voice mail, indicating that his mail box was full. However, a senior official at the hospital confirmed that an investigation had been launched.