‘Dengue killed my son’

Anirudh’s father Siewlal was inconsolable as he recounted the last times spent with his son. Siewlal sat on a chair at the family home in Rodney Road, Orange Field, Carapichaima and wept as he gazed at a photo of his son. He explained that two weeks ago, his son began experiencing symptoms associated with dengue and was taken to the Couva Health Centre.

Staff members took several blood tests but told relatives to return last Thursday since a machine was not working. “We eventually carried him by a private doctor who confirmed he had dengue. On Thursday, he fainted while going to the wash room and was again taken to Couva. They transferred him in San Fernando Hospital...” Siewlal sobbed.

The weeping man begged municipalities to spray and control the breeding of the disease vector the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. “Spray the area and all other areas so that families do not have to go through what I and the rest of my family are going through. Dengue killed my boy! He was my love...my sugar,” Siewlal said.

Anirudh’s mother Nalini said her son’s condition deteriorated rapidly. “He was very weak and could not help himself. I believe the doctors at San Fernando could have done more for him. The situation in the hospital is very sad, it is very poor,” Nalini said.

MP for Couva North, Ramona Ramdial, visited the family yesterday to extend condolences. In a press release, Ramdial stated that she together with councillors were working “assiduously” with the Health Ministry to arrest the dengue outbreak within this constituency.

“The MP would like to inform all constituents that all systems have been put in place to battle dengue, namely dengue mobile clinics set up at regional corporations and the use of the mobile spraying/fogging units,” Ramdial stated.

CEO of the South-West Regional Health Authority Paula Chester-Cumberbatch also expressed condolences to the family.

“ A preliminary report indicates that all dengue clinical protocols were adhered to. However the SWRHA has called for a comprehensive review of the patient’s treatment history beginning from admission to primary health care and hospital facilities,” Chester-Cumberbatch stated. For the year, there have been at least three deaths blamed on dengue fever.