The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has launched an internal investigation into how a young man died from oral hemorrhaging and a blood clot to his brain at the institution, days after extracting a tooth at a private dentist.
Lawrence Gopaul, 24, of Lot 17 Railway Line Hague, West Bank Demerara, died on April 16, two weeks after undergoing an extraction of a pre-molar tooth at the Persaud (Anand) Dental establishment at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara.
His family has confirmed that they met with hospital officials and were told of the investigation. They had alleged that the GPHC was negligent in Gopaul’s treatment since although he was admitted to that facility and given four units of blood and multiple bottles of saline, the cause of the bleeding was not addressed.
They were also upset that despite requests they are yet to speak with anyone from the GPHC.
Further, his mother, Bagwattie Gopaul, and siblings accused nurses of verbally abusing them.
She said the nurses in the ward were very rude to her and their behaviour intensified after the young man telephoned her on the eve of his death, telling her that he felt he would not live and wanted to see her before it was too late.
However, his aunt forced her way through and went into ward where she found Gopaul under a bed in a pool of blood and vomit. He died shortly before noon that day.
His dentist, Dr Ruben Mercado, defended himself when he heard of the circumstances surrounding the young man’s death and said that he believes Gopaul’s life could have been saved if he had seen a specialist after being admitted to the GPHC.
