Four persons have died from the mosquito-borne dengue fever since January this year and 398 were hospitalized.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony yesterday told the Sunday Stabroek that some 18,581 dengue tests have been conducted since January and 4,703 positive cases were recorded.
When asked about the death from dengue of Karon Thompson at the Diamond Hospital, which led to the family’s allegation that the hospital staff was negligent, Anthony said that he was unaware of the complaint but disclosed that a new system was being developed to address such issues.
This system, he explained, will allow families to call and make complaints about various hospitals across the country, enabling the supervising body to properly address their concerns. Staff members will be investigated and disciplined if necessary.
Regional Health Officer for Region Four, Gavinash Persaud, told the Sunday Stabroek yesterday that the investigation into the Thompson case has since been completed and the file will be sent to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, and that the report found no instance of negligence.
Anthony assured that the new system is one being developed to document the steps and procedures taken in health cases “whether it be medicine, the staff, whatever it is they would document it and try to have it resolved.”
Twenty-two-year-old Thompson died from the haemorrhagic form of dengue fever.
