The families of three Berbice children who died in hospital last month are still awaiting answers from the authorities on what exactly caused their deaths.
Kumar Mohabeer, 33, of Canefield, East Canje Berbice, father of two of the children, Vishnu Mohabeer, also known as ‘Ricardo’, 10, and Arianna Mohabeer, 9, who died suddenly last month, yesterday told this newspaper that despite their efforts to contact officials within the regional health authority they have not received any official word as to the cause of death of Arianna and the ongoing investigation.
“Them na tell we back nothing, nothing we na hear, we were supposed to hear back from them today (Monday) but we na hear nothing so we say tomorrow we would a go meet Dr. (Vishalya) Sharma (Director of Regional Health Services, Region Six).”
Mohabeer stressed, that his family is still in need of answers as Arianna was admitted in a stable condition and then suddenly died.
Previously the father had told Stabroek News that he had left for work and his son was lying on the bed. “The last word he tell me that he okay and before I reach Rose Hall I get the call that he take in and when I come before them reach hospital he pass away.”
A post-mortem examination carried out on Vishnu revealed that he died from splenomegaly (an enlarged spleen).
Following the death, the father said the boy’s sister developed a fever and she kept asking for her brother. As such they decided to take her to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. “She get scared and after she get lil fever we take her and them admit her and take her to the ward and the child was good. Monday morning the child come out and swing on a rocker, them have a rocker in the hospital back and the child come out and a play and then when them give she the injection the child never recovered back.”
According to the father, after being administered the injection which they were eventually told was an antibiotic, “…the child get weak, like the child start stunted there.”
He said they were initially told that Arianna had dengue fever and malaria, however after she passed away “them telling we something else that the child get some sick in she lungs that water go touch she heart.”
The father had also relayed that a post-mortem examination was carried out however the results were not immediately given to him. Additionally, he said that he was told that samples were taken from her body for testing.
Meanwhile, Chandrika Raghu, 53, of Number 62 Village, Corentyne, last month had explained that his daughter Naiomi Raghu, 8, a pupil at the New Market Primary School, was taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital after she experienced a fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
He said she was eventually transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where she was administered saline. “Me stay in all two nights with she so me went right deh. Them run scan and blood test but them na tell me nothing wah wrong with she.”
According to the man, his daughter seemed to have been recovering when everything then took a turn for the worse. “Them give she one injection and then afterwards she start blow hard hard and me call the nurse quick and she call them doctor.”
Raghu said that about four doctors rushed to his daughter and they ordered him out of the ward. About twenty minutes later he was informed that his daughter had passed away.
Following her death an autopsy gave her cause of death as inconclusive and a relative yesterday confirmed that samples were taken from her body for testing also.
According to the relative yesterday, they were told that the samples would be sent to Canada for testing, however, he said that they have not received any official word from the health authorities since.
