A team from the Ministry of Health, which was in Region One (Barima/Waini) within the past few days to provide support to personnel stationed there in the light of a recent gastro-like illness, has returned to Georgetown to conduct analyses on samples taken.
Regional Chairman Fermin Singh told Stabroek News on Thursday that tests are being conducted on samples taken to determine the cause of the illness. Stating that “things are under control”, he said that a few days ago a team was dispatched to the Barima/Koriabo area, located in the Mabaruma Sub-Region after receiving reports of six persons there being affected by diarrhoea and vomiting, symptoms associated with the illness.
Singh said the team only found one severe case at Koriabo but the patient had recovered after receiving treatment. He also said that a medex had spent three days in that area to monitor the situation.
This newspaper had reported on the situation over the past few weeks in which four persons from the Moruca Sub –Region were confirmed as dying from the ailment. These included 32-year old Calvin Charlie and his 63-year-old mother Helena Charlie, pensioner Albert De La Cruz and 10-month-old Troydon Thornhill.
Stabroek News also reported on the deaths of two persons from Port Kaituma as a result of symptoms associated with the illness. One of the persons passed away in Georgetown after being referred.
While it is unclear if a medical analysis was conducted to determine whether they died as a result of the effects of the illness, Director of Regional Health Services (RHS) Dr Narine Singh had told this newspaper that Thornhill’s death was as a result of a kidney problem while De La Cruz succumbed to heart failure.
Calvin Charlie’s death, according to his death certificate, which was seen by this newspaper, was as a result of dehydration, while his mother’s death was listed as a result of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Charlie’s cause of death was given as dehydration even though he had been in hospital for four days and administered with IV drips.
A resident of Port Kaituma told this newspaper on Monday that the Ministry of Health’s medical team was fanning out to other areas such as Matthew’s Ridge and Arakaka while a source at Santa Rosa on the same day, related that the situation had “died down a bit”, adding that there were only a few reported cases at the Kumaka Hospital at Moruca. A resident doctor has since been placed at that medical institution.
Singh told this newspaper last week that the RHS team was being sent to the area to monitor the situation while another RHS official related that the team was going to concentrate its efforts on the Moruca Sub-Region where the cases were more prevalent.
Singh noted that the area is usually affected by diarrhoea and vomiting and he urged residents living in outlying areas to take precautionary measures where the use and consumption of potable water is concerned.
