–‘Mercy Hospital’ in landmark surgery to help policeman overcome serious head injury

A SURGICAL procedure known in medical circles as a craniotomy was last Saturday historically performed at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in a bid to help a young policeman recover from traumatic head injury.Essentially, it is the surgical removal of a portion of the skull to allow access to the brain, the procedure was performed by Head Surgeon of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, on 25-

year-old Police Constable Victor Fausette, who was shot in the head, just above the left ear, allegedly by a man of unsound mind back in June 2015.

The Guyana Chronicle has since learnt that Saturday’s surgery was one of a number of medical interventions Fausette has had to undergo since the shooting; but thankfully, he is on the road to full recovery.

EXTREMELY GRATEFUL
From his hospital bed, Fausette told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that he is extremely grateful to Dr. Dukhi for all the care and attention he has lavished on him “during the various stages of the surgery.”

And while he did not say whether all the procedures he has had to date were done at that hospital, Fausette said Dr. Dukhi “worked very hard, and showed a lot of interest in getting the surgery done.”

Fausette also thanked his mother and other family members and well-wishers for giving him sterling support throughout the ordeal. And he thanked the Guyana Police Force, represented by senior officials: Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith, Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham and Deputy Superintendent and Welfare Officer Lorraine Saul, who were by his bedside yesterday to enquire how he was progressing since the surgery.

He has said he would refrain from giving any serious thought to returning to work until he has fully recovered.

NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING
Giving a background into the incident responsible for Fausette’s hospitalisation, Assistant Commissioner Griffith said Fausette’s assailant was being held at the Wisroc Police Outpost and Fausette was the only rank on duty at the time of the incident. The now deceased 18-year-old suspect, Regan Richards, first relieved Fausette of his firearm, then shot him in the head. Fortunately for Fausette, the proximity of the police outpost to the community may have helped save his life, because when residents heard the gun go off, they hurried to the scene to see what was going on; and when they saw Fausette lying in a pool of blood, they picked him up and rushed him to the Linden Hospital.

Police reportedly received a call shortly after the shooting, stating that a man, who turned out to be the berserk 18-year-old, was walking in the One Mile area with a gun in his hand.

Members of the anti-crime patrol later found Richards hiding in his home; and when called upon to surrender, he responded by opening fire on them, leaving them with no option but to return fire, fatally wounding him in the process.

FREE OF COST
Deputy Superintendent Lorraine Saul profusely thanked Dr. Dukhi for employing his medical expertise in aid of Fausette’s recovery, free of cost to the patient. “We thank God for what (Dr. Dukhi) has done, and may he continue to be blessed,” she said.

She explained that since the incident, which saw the extraction of a bullet from the constable’s head, the GPF has assisted in every way possible to ensure that Fausette makes a full recovery, since he was injured on duty. (Rabindra Rooplall)