A seventy-nine-year-old Beterverwagting resident yesterday became Guyana’s 22nd confirmed COVID-19 death.
He was a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) for five days before test results determined that he was positive for the virus.The deceased has since been identified as Norbert Grant of Lot 22 Quamina Road, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Grant was said to have passed away yesterday at 12.30 pm.
According to Grant’s sister, Paulette Garnett, her late brother was taken to the Davis Memorial Hospital on July 9 after he complained of experiencing pains about his body. He was admitted to the hospital where an MRI was done. Doctors, Garnett said, stated that Grant needed to have a biopsy done which saw him being referred to the GPH on July 18.
She noted that five days later, on July 23, Grant was confirmed to have contracted the virus. The dead man’s niece (name undisclosed) shared that during the time her uncle was a patient at the Davis Memorial Hospital, relatives were allowed to see him as he was not believed to have the virus then. However, she informed that after Grant was admitted to the GPH, no one was allowed to see him.
Garnett said that the last time she spoke to her brother was two Sundays ago over the phone. After that the family was unable to reach him, and was unsure of what had happened to his phone, or even if it was still in his possession. The woman added that Grant was expected to undergo surgery but up until his death, none was done. The man’s sister further said that she learnt of her brother’s death yesterday when she received a call from a doctor at the hospital. According to the woman, as far as she understands, Grant was not on a ventilator prior to his death nor did he receive any oxygen. The doctor, she said, also relayed to her that in the run up to his passing, Grant complained of pains about his body.
A distraught Garnett said she has no ill feelings towards the GPH and believes that the doctors would have done their best. “It was his time to go”, said the woman. Meanwhile, the man’s niece who agrees with Garnett and added that she is in no way upset with the public hospital, believes that her late uncle did not contract the virus prior to being admitted at the GPH. It’s troubling she added, for persons wanting to go to the hospital for one ailment only to end up dying from another.
GPH public relations officer, Chelauna Providence when contacted by this newspaper said that she learnt from the man’s doctor that he had some intestinal issues. No further information was divulged.
The relatives of Grant shared that Grant lived alone at his residence. A friend of his, they said, would come and check on his house during the time he was away at the hospital. The friend has since been called into the hospital to be swabbed for testing.
Grant’s niece recalled that her uncle was a jovial individual. He once worked at the GPH and retired as a senior lab technician.
