Latest update September 11th, 2026 10:26 AM
Ignoring the seriously injured at Skeldon Hospital
Dear Editor,
After reading the article of a Berbice family “Stunned by young girl’s death in Georgetown hospital”, please allow me to share my recent experience with your readers, as a Guyanese-American who lives in New York and was visiting Guyana a few weeks ago.
My brother and I were driving to Corriverton one evening and as we approached # 51 Village, on the Corentyne we saw a huge crowd and decided to stop. We wanted to see the commotion. We immediately spotted the source; an Afro Guyanese was lying in a pool of blood! The crowd that gathered just stood around gawking and talking loudly. No one even attempted to render assistance. There was a wedding party going on in the same village with everyone having a good time, but no one was willing to help.
We picked up the helpless man and took him to the nearest hospital which was, in Skeldon. He was unable to walk or stand and bleeding profusely. The next morning we paid him a visit. It was appalling to realize that the same way we dropped him off was the same way we found him. No medical attention was rendered at all!
After our startling discovery, I asked to see the doctor who was in charge. I was told that she was busy and had no time to talk to me. I told the nurse that I will call Dr. Mahadeo, CEO of Berbice Regional Health Authority in New Amsterdam to report the matter.
Upon hearing that, the doctor came out with her cell phone to her ears. After a heated argument she said to me that nothing is wrong with the man, there is nothing she can do to help him, and there is no one to take care of him, that he has to wait until Monday. She refused to give me her name.
After the argument got more heated one of the nurses mentioned that the doctor’s name is Dr. Balkarran.
After this totally needless exchange, I gave the injured man’s mother $20,000 to take her son to New Amsterdam hospital and seek further medical attention. Upon arrival at New Amsterdam he was examined and found to have several fractured ribs and a punctured lung, which was taking in fluid.
It seems as if some of these doctors placed in charge of caring for the helpless are trained to ignore, instead of to assist. Someone in the small crowd that gathered said. “Give her a couple hundred US dollars and see how fast she tek care a de man.”
Really? Another person, whispered in my ear, “She was out last night having a good time while she should be at the hospital working.”
I wonder where is the oversight of these doctors who are in charge of the hospitals at night. Someone is snoring at the wheel. How many more deaths have to occur before this come to an end!!!
Concerned Guyanese-American
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Many pregnant women die along with their unborn baby trying to give birth at Skeldon Hospital. There is no clear understanding as to why doctors are not performing c-sections to save both mother and child. I hear that in an absolute emergency then the women are sent to amsterdam to get a c-section. However, by then it’s a few days later and the doctors have waited too long and both mother and baby are dead. Also, pregnant women are left alone at nights in Skeldon Hospital. Pregnant women going to give birth should never be left alone. A family member should be allowed to stay with the expecting mother at all time.
I wonder if the doctors and nurses really know what is going on with the pregnant women or if they even care. We are all human beings. We need to help each other. Just because things have been bad for years does not mean it can’t get better. We can make anything better. We just have to care.