-awaiting the arrival of other family members from abroad
NO decision will be made until later this week on the fate of People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member, Mr. Winston Murray, according to his wife, Mrs. Marva Murray. Mr. Murray has been on a life support machine for a couple of days and the decision to take him off from the machine rests with his family.
His wife told the Guyana Chronicle that some of Murray’s relatives are here and others are expected later this week, at which time the decision will be made.“Nothing yet,” Mrs. Murray said simply, “Later in the week.”
It is left to relatives to make any further decisions after neurosurgeon Dr. Ivor Crandon examined Murray and said that no surgical intervention could be made at the time because of the state of his vital signs, including no responses from his brain.
A medical team at the Georgetown Public Hospital was on standby to operate on Murray, but the team of doctors at the GPH and the Balwant Singh Hospital, in consultation with Dr. Crandon, agreed that surgery was not possible and that it was best to have him managed medically through life support.
The Jamaica-based neurosurgeon was flown in on a chartered flight, a move by the current administration to indicate their support for the statesman. Prior to that, Crandon was in constant contact with the consultant physicians in Internal Medicine and Neurosurgery at the GPH.
Murray was unconscious in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital since last Thursday, where his condition is still being listed as critical with poor prognosis.
A CT scan soon after his admission revealed that Murray was dealing with severe hemorrhage to his brain. He also suffers from diabetes and hypertension.
The 69-year-old Member of Parliamentarian was rushed to the Balwant Singh Hospital Thursday evening after he collapsed at Houston outside a lotto ticketing booth, before reaching his home at Continental Park, East Bank Demerara. He was subsequently taken to the GPH.
Murray had only hours before left the National Assembly where he made a presentation during a debate over the Amerindian Act 2006 (Commencement) Bill 2010.
Murray studied in the Caribbean as a lawyer, trained in London as an economist and up to the time of his illness, the consensus among his supporters was that he has a good shot at being leader of Guyana’s main opposition party.
Within the PNCR, Murray was up against PNCR Vice Chairman Basil Williams, Retired Brigadier David Granger, and former minister Dr Faith Harding for the presidential candidacy.
Within the PNCR, Murray held the portfolio of shadow Finance and Economic Development Minister. He had served as a senior minister and deputy prime minister in the PNC administration between 1985 and 1992. The statesman also served as Head of the Presidential Secretariat in 1985, Head of the Department of International Economic Cooperation from 1983-1984 and as Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Trade from 1983-1984. Murray also had a stint in the Diplomatic Service at the Guyana Embassy in Brussels and was elected Chairman of the Party at the Special Congress in February 2003, after the death of former President and Leader of the PNCR, Desmond Hoyte.
Friends and political colleagues have rallied around Murray’s family assuring their support since his illness.