The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday afternoon responded to stories in the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News newspapers dated July 10 and 11, 2010, and captioned, ‘Family of teen shot during ‘Cobra’ hunt’ furious over hospital discharge, arrest’ and ‘Osafi Johnson still in lockups’.
A press release said management at the hospital is appalled at the statements made by the relatives of Johnson, who claimed that he was prematurely discharged.
“It must be stated that the patient was admitted to the hospital on July 4, 2010 and spent a total of five days, two of which were spent in the High Dependency Unit, and as his condition improved, he was transferred to the Male Surgical Ward.”
GPH said it was explained to the patient’s relatives that although the bullet was still lodged in him, his condition had improved. The consultant who treated Mr. Johnson explained that the bullet is ‘incidental’, and could be removed at anytime, for it is not the bullet that is treated. The priority lay in treating the injury caused by the bullet.
Furthermore, Mr. Johnson was up and about in the ward and had even requested discharge two days prior to July 9.
However, his condition was still being monitored and fluids were still being drained so he could not be discharged, at that time. Prior to his discharge, Mr. Johnson was closely monitored, he was not receiving any oxygen, his blood pressure and blood counts were normal and the chest tube was removed; he was also listed as stable, the release said.
However, management is at wits end with the fact that disgruntled individuals continue to use the hospital as a scapegoat whenever a problem is encountered.
‘They seek to discredit the hospital’s competent staffers who work very hard to provide quality care and preserve the lives of its clients.”
Meanwhile, Johnson has since been placed on station bail and has been released from police custody.
He was a patient at the GPH nursing a gunshot wound in the back following a shooting incident with the police.
Two other young men, Chad Ronald, 23, and Dexter Bentick, were arrested by the police on the same day that Johnson was shot and  injured.
The duo is still in police custody pending investigations.