The two members of the Dharamdat family still in hospital after eating a poisoned hassar curry dinner are showing signs of improvement and have been transferred from the Georgetown Public Hospital’s High Dependency Unit to the Male Medical Ward.
From his hospital bed, Sukhdeo Dharamdat, 42, told Stabroek News that while he was happy to be recuperating, his thoughts have been fixed mainly on his “death’s door” experience and his flooded Handsome Tree, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara farm.
“All the time I in hospital meh was praying for meh life and even now I left thinking here how my whole family coulda be wiped out and I how I saw death itself.
But same time I worried bad about meh farm. The whole thing flooded when I come in and this afternoon dem tell meh all meh crops gone and water still pun de land,” said Dharamdat, who was partially inaudible due to the effect of the poison on his throat and voice box.
Five members of the Dharamdat family were on February 9 rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital with complaints of abdominal pains and vomiting. After their conditions worsened overnight, they were then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dharamdat’s wife, Nandranie, 40, and his two daughters, Hemwattie, 15, and Bhunwaneshari, 13, were released from hospital earlier this week. A girl, 14, was earlier this week charged with the attempted murder of the family.
At intervals yesterday, Dharamdat shook his feet and clutched his stomach, while saying that he still experiences excruciating pain. He informed that he was no longer solely fed intravenously and solids have been added to his diet.
His son, Chaitram Dharamdat, 17, was four beds away. He is currently only communicating though sign language because of the damage to his throat. He appeared visibly weak and is being fed intravenously. Nonetheless, he smiled brightly and, when asked how he was feeling, he made circular motions over his stomach, opened his mouth and shook his head but then showed two thumbs up.
The boy’s father said that he was emotionally torn when he visits him or thinks of him having to endure pain that even he as an adult finds unbearable. “Ow when a look at he taking drips and know what he had fuh go through a want to cry. Big, big me want bawl when pain hold much less he. A feel real for sorry for him,” he said, adding, however, that he was glad his son is alive.
When asked if he tasted or smelled the insecticide as he ate his supper, Dharamdat explained that his wife normally uses a lot of spices and his meals are usually hot. Further, he said the fish curry also had mango. “Nothing taste different or smell bad. I was the first to eat and I like hassar so I had plenty but it was after I feel bad.
My whole throat lock off and I start to feel dizzy and my eyes get blurry so I call the neighbour and ask fuh help. Right after me, everybody then tek in,” he recounted.
