A 38-year-old cook has died and four other members of her family, including her husband, have been hospitalised after they fell ill over the weekend.
Up to yesterday, there was no confirmation as to what caused the death of Selema Thomas, of Wakapau Village, Pomeroon River, and the hospitalisation of four members of her family, although there was speculation that they may have consumed cassava bread that was contaminated.
Those hospitalised are Selema’s widower, Richard Thomas, 40; her father, Edward Richards, 78; her brother, and her father-in-law.
They were all taken to the Charity Hospital separately and were later transferred to the Suddie Hospital. They were brought to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) on Sunday morning. Selema succumbed around midday yesterday while receiving medical attention.
Richards is said to be in critical condition.
Commander of ‘G’ Division Khali Pareshram told Stabroek News last evening that neither the woman’s death nor the family’s hospitalisation had been reported to the police.
The dead woman’s brother, Charles Richards, told Stabroek News last evening that Selema and her husband were taken to the Charity Hospital last Friday morning after they complained of feeling unwell.
Richards, who lived with the couple, fell ill on Saturday and was also admitted followed by Selema’s brother and father-in-law on Sunday. “They get symptoms like vomiting. That lead to yellow eye, like pale yellow, and they urinate very dark in colour,” Charles said.
He said after Selema, Richard and Edward fell ill, the others went to their house to visit them after which they subsequently experienced the same symptoms and had to be rushed to the hospital.
“….I don’t really know if they had anything to eat… maybe they had cassava bread… probably the two last persons (Selema’s brother and father-in-law) had it when they went visit,” Charles noted.
Selema worked as a cook at the Wakapau school dormitory.
