FIFTEEN-YEAR old Shemar Raymond Miggins of Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, died suddenly at around 14:00 hrs on Saturday afternoon at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) under circumstances which are controversial and which provoked the anger of his immediate relatives and a large crowd which quickly gathered in the hospital compound as word of the death of the teen who was said to be on the road to recovery spread.

Concerns for the safety of the hospital staff, and more especially the managing doctor, prompted the Minister of Health who had been informed of the incident to summon the police who responded promptly.
Initial reports surrounding the death of the teenager claimed he had committed suicide. However, family members alleged that a staff nurse who was attending to the patient had given him a wrong injection. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the nurse in question has over 10 years work experience and has no other blemish against her name.
Since it was at that time unclear what exactly had transpired the Minister of Health on being informed of the incident immediately dispatched senior officials of the Ministry of Health and the Region to the WDRH complex.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, who Guyana Chronicle understands had just returned to Georgetown from a joint visit with officials of the George Washington Hospital to the New Amsterdam and Mahaicony Hospitals, was immediately dispatched to the WDRH at around 16:00 hrs. The CMO arrived at the WDRH at around 16:30 hrs where he initiated an investigation into the incident. Afterwards he also spent some time visiting other areas of the hospital and interacting with the staff. The CMO was in constant contact with Minister Ramsaran and filed an initial report with him at around 18:30 hrs.
Other officials immediately contacted were Mr. Naresh Hira, administrator of the Leonora Hospital, who the Guyana Chronicle understands previously performed administrative duties at the WDRH. Chronicle also understands that the minister immediately contacted Dr. V. Bridjmohan who heads the hospital’s medical staff.
Dr. Bridjmohan had already reported to the hospital in response to a call from the doctor on call, Dr. Naitram (one name), who had already been summoned to resuscitate Shemar and who had initiated the necessary medical measures including intubation.
Dr. Bridjmohan had left a short while before after reviewing two maternal cases who were under observations and scheduled for further review at 16:00 hrs. Dr. Bridjmohan after partaking in the unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate Shimar was in the process of reviewing the maternity cases when Minister Ramsaran contacted him. He presented his report on the Shimar case and further reported that the two maternity patients were at that time of the scheduled review being prepared for Caesarian Section. One case was of a woman with a breech presentation and who had been in labour for some time while the other was of a woman with prolonged labour and emerging signs of foetal distress.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Ramsaran, while expressing extreme distress and shock at what transpired with the teen, also expressed satisfaction with the medical team and staff for their vigilance and preparedness in caring for other critical cases – the maternal cases at the height of the stressful crisis.

The Guyana Chronicle speaking with Clive Anderson, uncle of dead Shemar Miggins, learned that he was at home washing and had called to speak to his nephew during the visiting hour. Mr. Anderson had spoken to Shemar. He informed this newspaper that about 45 minutes later he got a call from a friend at the hospital that his nephew had committed suicide. This sounded strange and unbelievable since the teen’s mother had gone to visit him and she had to be somewhere close by.
Mr. Aderson said that he left home immediately for the West Demerara Regional Hospital and on his way he tried calling Dr. Ravi Persaud, the Regional Health Officer but got no answer. On arriving at the hospital he went to the ward where his nephew was warded and saw the teen frothing from the mouth. Mr. Anderson was told by a nurse that Shemar had died a few minutes before his arrival.
The uncle made further queries of the nurses in the ward. He admitted to becoming angry with the explanations. It took him several minutes to calm himself and to take control of the situation since he recognized that he was the elder male and most mature person of his family present. He then asked for a sheet to cover his nephew.
In the meantime his sister Gillian Anderson, the mother of Shemar, was crying loudly in distress for her son who had been admitted on Wednesday last and who seemed to have been recovering satisfactorily before his sudden death.
Speaking with Gillian Anderson, Chronicle was made to understand that she came as on previous occasions to visit her son and bring his lunch. While she was in the ward she saw the doctor attending to some of the patients there so she decided to give Shemar his lunch and as he started eating she told him that she was going downstairs and would wait until the doctor would have finished with the other patients then return to be with him.
Shemar acknowledged and gave her his cellular phone to take for recharging. The shocking news hit her whilst waiting outside to return after the doctor’s visit.

Ms. Anderson told Chronicle that Shemar is the second child for her who has suffered a similar fate at WDHR.
A few years ago she said she lost another older son, Ahminikye Anderson, who was at the time only three months old and was being treated for an asthmatic condition. Ahminikye had also died at the hospital and she asked god to put his hands on the institution and cover it from further danger and further loss of lives.

At the time of this incident which resulted in the death of Shemar, the doctor on call was Dr. Naitram who was summoned to assist. The Medical Superintendent, Dr. V. Bridjmohan, who had left a few minutes before, was informed by the doctor on call and returned shortly after to the hospital.
Efforts to resuscitate Shemar failed. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, has ordered a Post-Mortem Examination (PME). Minister Bheri Ramsaran has spoken to the grieving mother and the uncle, Mr. Clive Anderson, who is looking after the interests of his sister and her family. The minister, Chronicle, understands committed the MOH to fully supporting the grieving family in this time of pain and shock. He undertook to have a full, expeditious investigation into the incident.
The minister told Chronicle that it was particularly distressing to have a preventable death occurring at the West Demerara Regional Hospital at this time since the MOH and the institution over the past several months have been doing the very best to improve it’s services and image.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that the two Caesarian Sections were performed as scheduled later in the evening. Both mothers and their newborns were reported to be in satisfactory condition.