Waterloo St woman, 31, dies of Dengue/‘Lepto’

Barrat Dass and his motherless children

A father of four is concerned over the sudden death of his 31-year-old wife at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Thursday, the cause of death being Dengue fever with Leptospirosis being a contributing factor.

Hemwantie Indira Singh
Hemwantie Indira Singh

Speaking to this newspaper last night  at the family’s Lot 161 Waterloo Street home, Barrat Dass related that his wife, Hemwantie Indira Singh, was in good health but around 4 am on Tuesday morning she got up with an upset stomach and started vomiting. He said she continued vomiting periodically during the day but thought that it may have been a flu.

The distraught man said he took his wife to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Wednesday morning and she was subsequently admitted to the medical institution. He said she was given saline while being admitted.

He said she was ‘looking ok’ when he went to visit her the following morning but she complained about a pain in her stomach. Dass said he got the shock of his life when he went to the hospital to visit his wife during the midday visiting hours and was informed by hospital staff that his wife had passed away.

Barrat Dass and his motherless children
Barrat Dass and his motherless children

He said the doctor told him that his wife had died from Leptospirosis which was revealed following tests conducted on her. The woman’s death certificate, seen by this newspaper, has her cause of death as the mosquito-borne Dengue Fever with Leptospirosis – a water-borne bacterial infection – as a significant contributing factor to her demise. Dass said his wife is at home most of the time, noting that she only suffered from low blood pressure.

He was at a loss, where the future of his four children is concerned, the youngest being one year old, since he related that he works hard every day at the Stabroek Market area as a vendor. He still questions the manner in which his wife died and is appealing to the authorities, mainly the Human Services Ministry, for assistance since he said that he is in a difficult situation and he is poor.

Hemwantie Singh leaves to mourn her husband their four children Laltram,10, Rajgindranauth,9, Lakeram,4, and one year old Kennard. She will be buried  next Wednesday. Anyone wishing to help Dass can contact him on 648-3899.