Misdiagnosed: Medical doctors treated child for asthma for 12 years causing heart condition to worsen

Aug 20, 2023 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

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By Davina Bagot

Waterfalls Magazine – Six months after being born to her mother in Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, Vinita Dowlatram, began experiencing shortness of breath and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Doctors at the public health institution diagnosed and treated the child for asthma after her visitations became more frequent.

The child’s grandmother, Lookrajie Polo in a recent interview told the Waterfalls that Vinita attended Primary School but was unable to attend Secondary School due to her progressing medical condition.

It was not until she was 12 years old that she was diagnosed with a clinical condition called Eisenmenger syndrome. This is the development of pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) due to an untreated congenital heart defect at an early stage.

Dr. Yusuf Abdullah, a General Physician attached to the Georgetown Hospital said, “The attending doctors at GPHC did not pick up the problem with Vinita until she was 12 years of age when a team of doctors from the United States and Canada visited Guyana. At this age, her heart condition was no longer amenable by surgery.”

He explained that in 2015, while doing clinical rotations as a medical student he caught sight of a young girl sitting on a chair, looking starved of air. “I was filled with empathy and compassion as I walked towards her to enquire what the matter was. Soon I was intercepted by a woman who happened to be her mom. She related that she routinely brings Vinita to the hospital from time to time to tap from the hospital’s Oxygen pipe, however, she was not receiving any attention from anyone,” the doctor recalled.

He said the sight of the little girl struggling to squeeze air into her lungs did not attract anyone to attend to her, so he immediately sourced a face mask and connected her to an oxygen port until she was fed enough, and her symptoms were relieved.

“Vinita’s mom also expressed deep concern for her daughter’s health and her inability to attend school. She also asked me for help to purchase a portable oxygen tank at home so she doesn’t have to be on the road with Vinita to and from the hospital. I promised I would help even though I knew I didn’t have the means as a medical student at the time,” Dr. Abdullah explained.

Since then, he said the young lady became his friend and patient. “My disconcertment for her drove me to discuss her case with a good friend of mine who was touched by her story and promised to buy the oxygen tank. We bought the oxygen tank and presented it to her family. It brought joy and tears to her parents. For me, that was very rewarding seeing Vinita and her mom eased from their struggles, at least temporarily,” the doctor intimated.

Vinita lost her father two years ago, while the mother who could no longer carry the burden of her two daughters, left Vinita and her sister.

Today the young lady is still alive and lays hopeless on her bed with an almost permanent facial adjunct (a face Mask) where she receives oxygen at her Non Pariel home, under the care of her grandmother.

Dr. Abdullah said he has been seeing Vinita who is now 20-years old and have been providing private medical care in addition to extensive research to find a solution to her condition. The doctor explained that his love for helping children led him to join a non-governmental organization, ‘Three Rivers Foundation’ in Georgetown. This group is geared towards assisting children with surgically manageable cardiovascular conditions abroad, especially those that cannot be treated in Guyana.

“I discussed Vinita’s case with them, and the foundation had promised to fly her abroad for operations in India, but unfortunately, the hospital says organs are prioritized for Indian citizens. So, Vinita lost that opportunity. Vinita still has hope to live like many other children and go to school. She needs a lung-heart transplant, an operation that can be done in Germany, the U.S., and Australia. She can be flown with an Air Ambulance to any of these countries for the operation,” the medical professional explained.

Vinita is hopeful to one day become an accountant. Growing up she was an aspiring nurse, but changed course after realizing she could not tolerate seeing sick people unable to help themselves. She enjoys cooking, baking, watching television, and spending time with her peers. Her grandmother told the Waterfalls that she does most things for herself but becomes exhausted faster than a normal individual.

“She helps to wash but sometimes when she throws stuff on the line she would have to come and take a five because she can’t fatigue herself too much. Sometimes when she get ready she would pick up her oxygen tank and take a walk by her friend not too far from us in the street too,” Vinita’s grandmother said. She even noted that the young lady enjoys a good day at the mall, but she needs to be supervised.

Vinita’s dream is to be able to go to school. “She wanted to go back to school so bad. She always talks about how she misses school, up to yesterday she was saying she would have been the first one to graduate because she is my eldest grandchild. Sometimes she would sit down and I think it would get to her more as she gets older. She can’t watch horror movies; the sounds would make her jump so sometimes I would trouble her and say lewwe watch a horror movie to cheer her up.”

About two years ago, Vinita started presenting a new symptom which made her relatives fearful. “We find that she would sit down and she wasn’t responding. The way she was sitting, she was so stiff that they pulled out the chair from under her and she was still stiff and in the sitting position. They had to give her the oxygen and the next day the same thing kind of happened when she was so stiff that they had to take her to the Hospital. They gave up on her, but my daughter told them she just need the oxygen and then she got better,” the woman explained.

Doctors have told the family that these symptoms confirm that her condition was deteriorating and in the days ahead, Vinita’s other organs may shut down. “Sometimes we need tablets and we would get donations from overseas otherwise, we would have to buy it and it’s like $5000 a month if we get the grams we are looking for,” the woman said.

The grandmother and doctor are appealing to the public to assist in whatever way possible to give the young lady an extended life. Dr. Abdullah has said financial aid from the public can facilitate the transplant needed to save Vinita’s life. The operation is expected to cost US$2.6 million. They are hopeful that she can one day live a normal life and possibly attend school.

Persons who are willing to assist in funding Vinita’s transplant or assisting through any other avenue can contact her grandmother on 592-671-6659 or 592-677-0673.

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• asthma, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Non Pariel, Vinita Dowlatram

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