The Ministry of Health yesterday morning dispatched a team of health workers to Region One (Barima/Waini) following the deaths of four persons after gastro-like diarrhoea and vomiting.

Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday told Stabroek News that the team was dispatched to Moruca but he would not comment further on the situation,  but only to say that the team would meet with the regional health team in an effort to garner information and determine what is happening in the region.

Stabroek News understands that the team met with Toshao of Moruca, Joseph Marco De Souza, but efforts to contact the toshao and Regional Chairman Fermin Singh proved futile yesterday.

Two persons, 32-year-old Calvin Charlie and his 63-year-old mother, Helena Charlie, both of Moruca, died within a week of each other after suffering from the gastro-like illness.

Singh had told Stabroek News on Wednesday that two other persons from Port Kaituma died following the same illness. He  had lamented that persons were waiting too long to seek medical treatment as they preferred to stay at home and treat themselves.

De Souza had stated that several other persons from his village fell ill with the same symptoms and had to be hospitalised.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) of Port Kaituma, Richard Allen, related that some 15 persons were admitted to the hospital in that area, all suffering from dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhoea but they were all discharged.
Yesterday the brother and son of the two Moruca residents who  died, Kenrick Charlie, told Stabroek News that his family is trying to move on following his mother’s funeral on Wednesday. His brother was buried last week Wednesday.

“We just trying to move on now, we don’t really know what happened but we have to continue living,” he said, and added that no officials had contacted them.