Nearly a year has passed since Lawrence Gopaul died in the aftermath of a tooth extraction that left him bleeding for days and his family is still to hear from medical officials about the findings of the investigation of his death.
Bhagwattie Gopaul says every day she is haunted by her son’s abrupt demise and the fact that no official has said anything to her about the investigation that was launched. She said that as she prepares to undertake his Aptikam (a one year after death religious service), hopelessness sets in and she feels that the lack of answers keeps her from getting closure.
When Stabroek News visited the woman at her Lot 17 Railway Line Hague, West Bank Demerara residence, she was sitting on a concrete area she dedicated to her son. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she told how after one year it has become unbearable not knowing the circumstances leading up to his death. “I preparing to do he one year work and it hurt now more than ever… Till now nobody could tell me one word how meh baby dead. Nobody never call, never visit never send word never give nothing …one year after and it still deh like one day after not a word from a soul,” she said.
She explained that her husband and father of the young man has gotten so ill after his death that he now is unable to work. “He daddy pressure went up till he get sick how he take it on…he can’t work now and sometimes he just lay in that hammock and… cry,” she said.
Bhagwattie herself pointed out that she has “many down days” since life is not what it used to be, given that Lawrence had been the main provider for the household. “Meh baby used to come with he whole pay packet and say, ‘Mammy look.’ Anything we want do, he used to save and we do it and now he gone… I am struggling here. Nobody to really give us anything but by family away (overseas) and meh can’t bother, bother them,” she said.
Gopaul, 24, died on April 16 last year, two weeks after undergoing an extraction of a premolar tooth at the Persaud (Anand) Dental establishment at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara.
Gopaul’s family insisted that the extraction was linked to his death, since he never stopped bleeding after returning home from the procedure. Family members also said that the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) was negligent in treating him, 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.
Stabroek News tried for several weeks to contact the Chief Executive Officer of the GPH Michael Khan about the case but this proved futile. The Public Relations Officer of the GPH Mitzy Campbell said that one year after the investigation began, it has still not been completed and so the GPH could not give any answers to Gopaul’s family.
The young man had visited the dentist on April 4, complaining of toothache. He was seen by Dr. Ruben Mercado and had the tooth extracted and he was sent away. On his return home that evening, Gopaul experienced profuse bleeding from his gum. He was subsequently taken by his mother to the Cottage Hospital at Leonora because she was concerned about the amount of blood he was losing. At that facility, he was given an injection to stop the bleeding and was sent home.
However, after realizing the next day that the bleeding was continuing, Gopaul’s mother took him back to Dr Mercado’s office, where he was prescribed amoxicillin capsules. There was no relief and they visited another doctor at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and the young man was once again treated and sent away.
Given that the weekend immediately after the extraction was a holiday, the relatives said, they waited and analyzed the situation as they prepared to visit yet another medical facility on the morning of April 10. That facility referred them to the GPH since Gopaul had lost a great amount of blood. At the GPH emergency room, he was given four units of blood and saline and officials there explained that he was anaemic and also dehydrated.
His mother complained about the attitude of the nurses and their behaviour 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. She said when she had rushed down to the hospital, she was told by security guards that it was late and she could not see the young man. However, his aunt forced her way through and went into the ward, where she found Gopaul under a bed in a pool of blood and vomit. He died mid morning on April 16.
Dr. Mercado subsequently told Stabroek News that he believed that Gopaul’s life could have been saved if he had seen a specialist while admitted to the GPH.
Gopaul’s mother said that she prays every day that someone will either visit the family and explain how the investigations went or call them in to discuss the findings. “This is Guyana and you can’t get yuh hopes up too high but maybe one day somebody gon say something, give me lil ease,” she said.
