Fifty-five-year-old Roger Martindale, the country’s latest novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fatality, was being treated for tuberculosis (TB), which he was diagnosed with just months ago.
Martindale, called “Copper,” a father of one of First Avenue, Bartica, in Region Seven, died at the Bartica Hospital on Tuesday morning.
The Ministry of Public Health only acknowledged his death on Friday afternoon, although he was not named.
In a telephone interview with Sunday Stabroek yesterday, Martindale’s sister, Joanne Benjamin, said her family does not believe that he died from COVID-19 and they want evidence to support the ministry’s claims.
According to Benjamin, Martindale suffered a stroke more than a year ago. In February, Benjamin said, Martindale broke his hip and was unable to move around as per normal as a result. While at home, he developed a cold, which was later diagnosed as TB. “He wasn’t feeling too well. When we go to the hospital, they giving him tablets to drink because he had a cold. They say he contract TB… Anyway, like it did getting worse because he use to smoke a lot. When we did the x-ray, they notice the one side of his lungs was already gone and they say that how the other one going. So they start treating him,” Benjamin explained.
However, she said because of the possibility of exposure to the coronavirus if admitted to the hospital, officials recommended that Martindale undergo treatment at home. “They say because of this COVID, they don’t want to keep him in the hospital. So every Friday, we used to had to go collect tablet fah he,” she noted.
Benjamin related that Martindale experienced shortness of breath and doctors had previously explained that it was because of the TB.
At home, Martindale had to be isolated from other family members. “We had to get him his own house. He was there for a couple of weeks when they start treating him,” Benjamin said.
However, as time went by, she added that Martindale’s condition worsened. She said while the hospital was kept aware of his condition, all the family was told was that he needed to continue using his medication. “It was coming on more bad now because of the shortness of breath. We explain to the girl (nurse) and she said that the doctor say that is the symptoms and he would have to continue with the medication,” Benjamin related.
Hospitalised
Last Sunday night, Martindale’s condition deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital.
Upon arrival there, she said the family was told that Martindale would be given oxygen and saline and they should return after two hours. However, upon returning, the family was told that Martindale’s condition did not improve and he would be kept for observation until the next day. “When we go back for him after the two hours, they said he still getting the short of breath and he can’t lay down and they will keep him for observation whole night, come back next morning. They said he still getting the short of breath and inside of the body he telling them that he feeling hot. Well we couldn’t enter the compound. We used to had to go to the gate and just drop off what he had to get and speak to a nurse there…,” Benjamin explained.
On Tuesday morning the family learnt that he died when a brother went to the hospital to drop breakfast for Martindale.
“…My brother went to carry breakfast for he and he give the porter the breakfast. The porter even telling him ‘Man last night I see they carry down a man, he dead.’ So me brother seh alright, is nah he. Drop this thing fah he and me brother leave and go away….Like the porter went upstairs and he didn’t see him [Martindale] on the bed. He [the porter] call the nurse and she said he passed out. After he passed out, they didn’t even call the family to say anything. How we get fah know now [is] my brother does work taxi so when he was passing back, he notice the [porter] was looking out for him to give him back the bag. So he see the man with the bag and he ask him ‘Wah happen? You ain’t get through to give me brother the tea?’ Then the man call he and when me brother go, then he will hear that Martindale dead and they done put he in the mortuary,” Benjamin further related.
Seeking answers
According to Benjamin, samples were taken from Martindale for testing after his death. The results were returned on Thursday. It was then that the family received a call from hospital officials, who said that due to Martindale’s death, two relatives who had been in contact with him would have to undergo COVID-19 tests.
“When they call now and say that he have this coronavirus the Thursday morning, they ain’t even show we a paper to say well this is the result… you can’t just come to tell me that my brother die from corona and I never even see the results from the test,” Benjamin said.
“But the point is why when somebody die then you will take the test. The person die, you didn’t even had the ability or manners to call and say yuh son or yuh brother died, come and see the body before we put it down in the mortuary. We is not dog. We is human just like everybody else and it hurt me to know this is what we have to go through,” she added.
Benjamin said the family is disappointed at the manner in which her brother’s death was dealt with and still wants answers to a number a number of questions surrounding his death.
“We don’t believe that he died from COVID…we have the x-ray that show us that his lungs eat out and one side gone. Is nah fah seh that we stifling we conscience….if he wasn’t being treated before then we would have say maybe he mussy go out and get it but he was at home all the time until after he went to the hospital,” she stated.
She added that that usual procedure that is adopted to ensure that families of COVID-19 victims are not exposed to the virus was not even taken.
“This thing got to stop hay…if my brother die from corona from the time you hear my brother die from corona, you supposed to done come and surround the family. Get them inside. Nobody ain’t come up to now to my family. Another thing, if my brother die from corona, them ain’t even supposed to give us the body. Why you give us the body to bury? It hurts me to know that I have to go through all of this because of my brother death,” Benjamin stated.
Up to last Wednesday, Region Seven had tested 309 persons for the novel coronavirus and 61 cases in total had been recorded.
This was disclosed by Regional Health Officer, Dr Edward Sagala, who told this newspaper that the hotspots in the region were still Aranka, Akoku, Bartica, and Mango Landing in Arau.
The Regional Health Officer mentioned that the region had already started working on a COVID-19 centre in Bartica as construction has already started at the identified area, Mangrippa Hill. “It’s an area that has been identified, ideal for these kind of activities,” he said. Further, he mentioned that in the setting up of this centre, all issues including staffing have been taken into account.
He assured that at there were no issues with isolation or quarantine facilities as they had been able to manage quite well. “This plague is not going away today or tomorrow, so it’s good to plan forward and this is not only for coronavirus [as] these new and emerging diseases will keep on coming, [but] hopefully not as frequent” he stated, while adding that the establishment of the centre will be able to handle other infectious diseases. (Additional reporting by Shamar Meusa)
