Twelve-year-old Akazea Austin, who was struck down by a speeding car while crossing the Supply Public Road on the East Bank of Demerara in February, has died.
Austin, who had been recovering at home after being discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), died almost two weeks ago. According to a post-mortem report, Austin died from trauma to the brain and a lung infection.
In mid-February, Austin was struck down by a Linden-bound hire car. The girl, who was a student of the Diamond Secondary School, had exited a school bus and the bus driver signalled other drivers on the public road to stop so that she could cross the road. However, while crossing, Austin was hit from behind by the car, HC 7963. She was rushed to the Diamond Public Hospital in an unconscious state and was later transferred to the GPH.
The 45-year-old taxi-driver, of Linden, was later charged with dangerous driving and released on $100,000 bail.
Her father, William Mentos, told this newspaper that following her discharge from the GPH’s ICU, Austin was bed-ridden for weeks before she started showing signs of recovery. He added that over the past six months Austin had made remarkable improvement.
“She recover. She start walking, she used to rake the yard, used to wash the wares, used to sweep and we does tell her don’t do it but she does still do it and that’s how she recovered,” an emotional Mentos told Sunday Stabroek.
While he was not in Georgetown when she died, he believes that a number of issues might have contributed to her death, including the fact that she was due for a surgery months ago to remove the tube that is assisting her in breathing.
On the day when the surgery was expected to be done, they had arrived a few minutes late at the hospital and were told that no doctor was available to do it. However, he added that he spoke to a doctor who told him that the tube that they were going to insert to help her breathe was not available in Guyana and when they sourced one they were going to call him.
To date the family never received a call regarding the tube, Mentos said.
However, in the meantime, the family took Austin to clinic appointments but Mentos said not much attention was paid to her.
Just over two weeks ago, she started having trouble breathing and once again the family took her to the hospital but Mentos said they were told that the doctors could not perform any surgery because of COVID-19 and so they took her back home.
On Monday, September 21st, the breathing problem worsened and she lost consciousness.
She was rushed to the GPH, where they waited for some time before they were eventually seen by a doctor. Austin died between 3.30 and 4 pm.
Mentos said that they were told that it appeared Austin had developed an infection and that the tube in her throat had shrunk, which made it difficult for her to breathe. (Laurel Sutherland)
