Doctor: Doctor: No evidence of cheek injury to Sharma

Dr Saran Ayana Valdez stated that she simply recorded in her medical report what she was told by Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma on the assumption that he was telling the truth. Valdez was one of the persons who gave testimony to the Privileges Committee of the House of Representatives during its investigation of the September 15 incident between Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Chandresh Sharma in the members lounge.

The only visible indication of injury which Valdez saw was redness to the right wrist. Valdez report stated that Sharma had “soft tissue” injury to the face, chest and right hand  which  was  “probably inflicted with a blunt object with mild to moderate force.” Asked how she came to that assessment, Valdez stated that the assessment was “purely subjective.” “He complained of the cheek and there was no evidence on the cheek, if he was hit it would have been a very mild amount of force applied to have no (evidence)...If somebody gets slap and there’s nothing left, it doesn’t negate the fact that force was applied.” She said there was no abrasion, no laceration, no broken bones, no swelling, no bruising. Valdez noted, however, that she saw hyperemia (redness) to the right hand. She said when she touched several parts of Sharma’s chest, he complained of pain.

Rahael then asked: “Dr Valdez, if you were to examine me now and I told you that I was slapped on my face and hit on my chest and you touched me on my chest and from one of the areas I said: “Ouch” and I told you that I was hit with a blunt object, is that similar to what would have happened when you examined the patient (Chandresh Sharma) and that would have been the same kind of report you would give?” Valdez stated: “Yes.”

She added: “When I examine and have a consultation with a patient, I have no reason to believe that the patient is lying to me.” So we have to start from that perspective...I have to go based on the patient’s history and if the patient’s history suggests that he has trauma and then when I examine it elicits pain, then the conclusion is that trauma was applied..it is a case of trust between doctor and patient, that we are both communicating truthfully to each other”. Valdez said Sharma’s blood pressure on the afternoon of the incident when she examined him was “consistent with a person who is hypertensive.” She said Sharma told her that he was hypertensive.