Health Ministry probes death at ‘Sister’ Lynn’s clinic

Oct 19, 2011 News

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–    cops release herbalist, assistant

By Michael Jordan

Police yesterday released popular herbalist Lurline Smith and her assistant as they await a post mortem on 61-year-old Julie Mohabir who died at Smith’s clinic last Monday.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Health has launched its own investigation into Mohabir’s death, with Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy again warning about the risks in seeking treatment from unlicenced practitioners.
Speaking to Kaieteur News last night, Lurline Smith, known as ‘Sister Lynn’, said that she was released on $20,000 station bail, and has to report to the police until the post mortem is completed.
Kaieteur News understands that an autopsy will be performed on the woman on Friday.
Insisting that she had done nothing wrong, Smith suggested that Mohabir may already have been close to death when she visited the clinic.
According to the herbalist, the patient was “gasping for breath” when she entered the Nandy Park clinic.
“When she came in she was gasping…before she came in to see me she was gasping, and I know that the gasping was (a sign of) death.”
She said that Mohabir gave her a yellow card which indicated that she had been suffering from tuberculosis since 2002.
Smith related that she gave Mohabir a herbal tea known as ‘Double D’, but denied that she had told the woman that the tea would make her expel the mucous from her system.

“I told her to sit and relax and I will pray with her just now. Then I call her in to come and relax on the bed.”
But according to Smith, Mohabir began to vomit. “She start to vomit and I told David (the assistant) to bring the bucket.” She said that the woman vomited “a big junk of mucous” and died shortly after. Smith said she then notified the police.
The herbalist said she subsequently saw a medical document that indicated that Mohabir had another serious medical condition for which she was being treated.
Smith also denied that she had taken any cash from Mohabir.
“I didn’t take any money or name any price.’
Speaking to Kaieteur News last night, Health Minister Dr. Ramsammy said that the matter is being investigated.
“We are looking at it (the case)…I have warned persons pretending to be medical practitioners that they can be criminally liable. We are interested in the post mortem report and the Chief Medical Officer is making provision (to know the results).”
Dr. Ramsammy confirmed that Mohabir, of St. Stephen’s Street, Charlestown, was treated at the GPHC for TB and other medical problems.
“We have known the patient since 2003 (but) the last time that we saw her, she no longer had TB, but had other medical problems.
“She needed medical attention, not a ‘Sister Lynn’ attention. Anybody who pretends to be a medical practitioner and this happens, it’s a criminal matter.”
Dr. Ramsammy said that he knows of cases where persons, including cancer patients, stopped taking their medication and sought non-traditional treatment.
“My advice to the public is still the same: seek medical attention from licenced professionals, and do not risk your life with unlicenced people.”
Regarding allegations that the herbalist had indicated that Mohabir’s treatment would include injections, the Health Minister stressed that only a doctor, nurse, medex, “and in a limited way,” community health workers, can administer injections.
“It’s true that people (with diabetes) can inject themselves with insulin at home, but this is prescribed and they are trained to do so.
“I have checked with the Guyana Medical Council…‘Sister Lynn’ is not registered with any of the Councils.”
Ramsammy recalled that some physicians were unhappy when the Health Facilities Licencing Act was implemented, “but that law is to ensure that only legitimate medical practitioners are operating.”
Ramsammy also disclosed that the Allied Health Professionals Act is now being put together, “and when that happens, the herbalists will have to be licenced practitioners.”
A female relative who accompanied Mohabir to ‘Sister Lynn’s’ told Kaieteur News that on arrival, Mohabir informed ‘Sister Lynn’ that she was suffering from tuberculosis and showed the herbalist a yellow card that she had been given at the GPHC.
According to the relative, Mohabir gave ‘Sister Lynn’ an initial fee of $4,000, and the herbalist indicated that Mohabir was required to pay $60,000 for the entire treatment, which would last some three months. The treatment would allegedly include injections.
The relative said that ‘Sister Lynn’ then gave Mohabir a glass containing a liquid, and told the patient that the liquid would make Mohabir ‘throw up’ the ‘cold’ from her body.
After drinking the liquid, Mohabir reportedly sat on a bench outside the treatment room. She reportedly then told the relative that she was feeling unwell and wanted to lie down. According to the relative, Mohabir also said she wanted to ‘throw up.’
‘Sister Lynn’ and the man who was assisting her reportedly then brought a bucket into which Mohabir vomited. Mohabir reportedly continued to say that she felt unwell and ‘Sister Lynn’ placed Mohabir on a bed and brought a fan into the room.
The relative alleged that Mohabir was sitting on the bed and ‘Sister Lynn’ was holding Mohabir’s shoulders as she vomited when the patient suddenly slumped forward.”
“She (‘Sister Lynn’) was talking to she (Mohabir) and getting no response and then she say, ‘the lady pass away.”
Kaieteur News was told that the herbalist then contacted the police, while the relative contacted Mohabir’s daughter. The relative said that police who arrived at the scene took away a large bottle containing a liquid.
‘Sister Lynn’ and a male assistant were then taken to the Providence Police Station, while Mohabir’s body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour.
Lurline Smith advertises her business (Sister Lynn’s Indigenous Herbal Clinic) on two local television channels and on several websites. She reportedly has a lucrative clientele.

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