T&T hunger striker’s health worsens

(Trinidad Express) Hunger striker and environmental activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has experienced further physical deterioration between Monday and yesterday.

That was the pronouncement by his doctor, Ashantie Charles Le Blanc, who tested his vital signs yesterday.

“He is still not looking good, still showing the end-of-life characteristics, and we are not getting any better,” she said after a brief medical examination outside the Prime Minister’s office in St Clair yesterday.

“Most notably is his blood pressure (which) is going down steadily; right now, the pulse pressure is quite low, which means that the heart is pumping even slower and there is not as much perfusion to the entire body. It is cutting down on the peripheral circulation and trying to save the vital organs,” she said.

She said Kublalsingh’s blood sugar had also dropped 20 points since he was tested on Monday.

“Notably today is that his oxygen saturation is decreasing as well, and he is visibly weaker,” she said.

Charles Le Blanc attributed Kublalsingh’s mind and willpower as the driving force behind his ability to continue the hunger strike.

“The mind has a great influence over what is happening, and Dr Kublalsingh has exhibited a great determination in his cause, and his body is actually responding to that,” she said.

“We all know that miracles occur, and I know we are all hoping for one right now, but right now, I cannot be specific, but it does not look like it is going to be long, like another two weeks. It is critical,” she said.

Charles Le Blanc said the moment this hunger strike ended, her first course of medical action would be tests for organ damage, followed by intravenous fluids.

“He will be given fluid replacement; we would most likely start with parenteral nutrition and just slowly take it from there,” she said.

She said because of the prolonged length of time without food and water, both would have to be reintroduced into his system slowly.

“It is going to take some time,” she said.