Minister Garrido- Lowe tours GPHC

Aug 07, 2016 News

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Several indigenous persons caring for their sick in the Pediatric Ward of the country’s

premier Health Institution- the Georgetown Public Hospital, on Wednesday welcomed an impromptu visit by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe.
While there, Minister Lowe interacted with the doctors, nurses, parents and relatives of the sick children.
Many of the indigenous children are receiving treatment in the facility for high fever. However, two particular cases caught the attention of Minister Garrido-Lowe.
Wendy Sandy, a resident of Caria-Caria up the Essequibo River, Region Three, is the mother of three children between the ages of six years and eight months who were admitted to the GPHC early this week with fever and vomiting.
Six-year-old Akeila, two-year-old Destiny, and eight-month-old Divine Sandy all received treatment at the facility.
The children’s mother, Wendy Sandy, told Minister Garrido-Lowe that only last Thursday she and her three children returned to Caria-Caria after spending some time with a relative in Cornelia Ida (CI), West Coast Demerara. The children were in almost perfect health.
However, by Saturday her eldest daughter came down with a fever followed by the two younger siblings. She subsequently sought medical attention.
She noted that it seemed like a mystery since they were all in good health and before she realized what was happening she was looking at her eldest daughter, Akeila battling for her life.
However, in a conversation with the doctor who is administering treatment to the children, Minister Lowe was told that the eldest daughter who was admitted to the GPHC over the weekend in a more serious condition, succumbed to her illness on Monday before a proper diagnosis could have been made.
According to the doctor, an autopsy performed on the child’s body on Wednesday, revealed that she succumbed to renal failure. Further tests are being performed on the samples from daughter’s remains.
The doctor did however reveal to the Minister that upon further investigation, the child came down with a fever two weeks prior to her receiving medical attention. The situation was compounded by a strong family background of Tuberculosis (TB).
According to the Medical Practitioner, the children’s father (no name provided) fell ill and a month later began the TB treatment. That was almost a year ago. It was confirmed that he was in contact with the children.
While the two younger siblings remain under observation, the doctor said two-year-old Destiny was diagnosed with Bronchopneumonia and is receiving treatment although further tests are being conducted.
Tests, according to the doctor, cleared eight-month-old Divine of pneumonia but further examinations revealed that her tonsils were inflamed. She is receiving treatment.
The other case that caught the attention of Minister Garrido-Lowe was that of nine-month-old Richard Henry, son of Susan Lowe from Supenaam in Region Two.
Lowe explained to the Minister that a Health Professional working at the Good Hope Health Center administered the then two-month-old with his second set of vaccines ( HB+HEPB+DPT).
She said that after receiving the vaccine her son was never the same.
Hours later her son began vomiting. The following day his anterior fontanelle (mole) was swollen and the area on his leg where he received the vaccine was green in appearance. Lowe said this became very disturbing and she was forced to return to the Health Facility with her son so she can receive answers.
She said she was referred to the Suddie Public Hospital where doctors there could not diagnose the reason for the discoloration.
She was subsequently advised to seek further medical assistance and was given an appointment to see a doctor at the GPHC sometime in September.
The mother of the nine-month-old said that the appointment date was way too long so she decided to take matters into her own hands. It was then that she visited the medical facility (GPHC) where her son is now a patient.
She is now patiently awaiting advice from health professionals at the facility on the way forward in dealing with her child’s illness.
Meanwhile, Minister Garrido-Lowe indicated that while Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton is competently dealing with issues concerning the health sector, there is so much he can do in this regard.
Minister Garrido-Lowe pointed out that in dealing with such a critical sector, partnerships from various stakeholders play a pivotal role in alleviating a number of difficulties experienced in this sector.
In the meantime, the Welfare Department of the Ministry continues to provide support to persons from the hinterland who are patients of the facility. The Minister during her visit committed to providing much needed items to the Sandy sisters, seven-year-old Tarik Chatkha from Region Six, four-year-old Eli Thomas, eight-month-old Quincy Sam and Rishad Henry.

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