A third child who fell grievously ill after pre-chemotherapy treatment at the GPHC passed away early yesterday morning.
Sharezer Mendonca, 6, of Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, had been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
Her mother confirmed with Stabroek News last night that Mendonca passed away sometime around 9 am. She said she received a call from the hospital and a request for her to visit. While she was not told the reason, she said she already knew that she was called because her daughter had died. The other two children who died were seven-year-old Corwin Edwards, who passed away on January 14th, and three-year-old Roshini Seegobin, of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, who died on January 18th. Mendonca’s mother related that they are supposed to attend a meeting with representatives from the Hospital today. The hospital had announced that it was investigating the deaths of the two children and the use of the drug, which was not named had since been stopped.
In a statement on Sunday night, the GPHC announced that it had “launched an investigation to determine the reason for the adverse reaction to the medication.”
“That investigation involves the interviewing of all medical persons directly involved along with an assessment of the medication administered,” it added.
In its statement, the hospital called on the public to desist from speculation “on what is a sensitive matter and await the findings of the investigation.”
