The passenger who collapsed and died at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Sunday morning has been identified as a St Croix, US Virgin Islands teacher, Kodzo Ekpe.
Ekpe who was an outbound passenger at CJIA on an American Airlines flight was pronounced dead at a local hospital after he collapsed at the airport. The death was confirmed on Monday by staff at the airport who told Stabroek News that they were unable to furnish any further information on the incident.
The death of the man came to the attention of the media after a letter was published in Monday’s edition of the Kaieteur News. In it, a fellow passenger stated that the airport was not equipped with a defibrillator or trained staff to handle the situation. The Ministry of Public Health however, refuted the contents of the letter which was published and noted that all required protocols were followed. According to the Department of Public Information (DPI) the port health officer who was on duty at the time reported details of the incident to the Ministry.
It was noted that the incident occurred just around 1:30am. Following attempts to resuscitate an unresponsive Ekpe with the use of a defibrillator, the man was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was examined by a doctor and pronounced dead. A subsequent investigation was launched by the ministry.
A number of tributes were seen posted on social media, where persons and organisations remembered Ekpe as an exceptional Mathematics teacher who was loved by colleagues and students.
