Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran this afternoon said that prisoner Colwyn Harding underwent surgery for an “incarcerated hernia” and it was discovered that lengths of his bowel were “gangrenous” and later there serious complications developed including “septic conditions within the abdomen”.
Ramsaran, who was at the time responding to questions by APNU Parliamentarian Winston Felix, did not dismiss Harding’s claim that he was sodomised by a policeman with a baton. However, he said that based on the report he received from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, the man was suffering from a hernia when he first went to the hospital.
He stated that once a hernia is incarcerated long enough it would cause injuries to the bowels.
“The juxtapositioning of the claim on the complaint of sexual assault needs to be taken in this context,” the minister said.
As he spoke members of the opposition shouted: “lies!”‘ “Shame, shame!” And, “You coming here to cover up”. He said when Harding went to the hospital he was complaining of pain to his right side scrotum.
According the minister the gangrenous lengths of the bowel were removed during surgery on December 18, but later there was a breakdown of the “joining of the two intestines which led to serious complications including septic conditions within the abdomen.”
The patient had to be reopened, the minister said.
