Relatives of Tikiram Khalika, who was struck down by a minibus along the Public Road at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara (WCD) two Fridays ago, have decided not to pursue charges against the driver, but are still seeking answers from health officials as to the treatment he received at the three hospitals to which he was taken.
Khalika’s niece, Jayashree Sarjoo, told Stabroek News yesterday that her uncle’s widow has decided to withdraw all charges against the driver of the minibus who struck her husband down thereby resulting in his death. Khalika’s wife and the driver of the bus made the agreement on Thursday, Sarjoo added.
Sarjoo also said that her aunt decided to settle the matter because she is “of age” and therefore would not be in a position to attend court and all the “running around” the judicial system entails.
But Khalika’s family are still concerned as to why he was forced to wait for long hours at three hospitals before he was attended to by doctors and would like answers from the Ministry of Health on the issue.
This newspaper contacted the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Leslie Cadogan, last week but his secretary stated that he had asked for questions to be emailed. That email was sent since last week and no response was received as of yesterday.
Khalika’s family is blaming doctors at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) and the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) for his death which they say was a result of negligence.
Sixty-one-year-old Khalika of Fourth Street, Anna Catherina, was struck down from his bicycle by the minibus and was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital around 5 pm. While at Leonora, there was no ambulance to transfer him to the WDRH and when relatives offered to arrange for the sugar estate ambulance to take him, doctors at the institution insisted that arrangement would not be possible since it was “a police matter”.
His niece had said the ambulance to take him from Leonora to WDRH was in Georgetown causing them to wait about an hour before it came. When Khalika was finally transferred, doctors at WDRH indicated to his relatives that he would be transferred to the hospital in the city.
He was then placed in the ambulance but was removed shortly after and left without oxygen for about half an hour. Khalika was placed in the ambulance for a second time only to be taken out again. When he was taken out the second time, doctors indicated to his family that they would have to wait until the ambulance took another patient to the city and returned before Khalika could be transferred since only one person could fit in the ambulance.
This caused his relatives to inquire whether he could be transferred to a private hospital, because of the delay and given his serious condition, but doctors at the hospital declined. After the hours of waiting, Khalika was finally transferred to the GPH and taken to the Accident and Emergency Unit. His relatives said he remained in the triage area from 11 pm on Friday until his death around 8 am Saturday.
The GPH has since issued a statement saying that when Khalika arrived at the hospital he was in a very critical condition and the hospital was placed in the unfortunate position of having to deal with him, hours after he was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. GPH also said that there was no lengthy waiting time at that institution.
