IT has been almost three months since that horrific accident on August 25, 2013 on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway that took the lives of three people, including my beloved husband, Dr. Walter Kyte.

My reason for penning this article is to bring about awareness of certain policies that need to be amended and enforced within the Guyana Police Force. The police need to enforce the highway speed limit. They should be vigilant like any other decent law enforcement agency and patrol the highway for law breakers; imposing heavy fines on those reckless drivers who blatantly and deliberately show disregard for human lives.
At the time of the accident (on August 25), there was no highway patrol and when the police ranks arrived at the scene, they were of little use. The Guyana Police Force is so desensitized to the everyday occurrence of accidents and vehicular homicide that they seem unfazed. Their heads turn the opposite way without a thread of concern or compassion. All persons responsible for vehicular homicides should be tried and pay the price, whatever the consequences are, if any in Guyana. These accidents occur too often that little interest is shown or given to the incident and people see it as just another common occurrence.
As my unconscious husband was trapped in that bus, inhaling dirty water, the “brave and honourable” Guyanese Police got to the scene, stood there and chose NOT to assist! Not because they couldn’t! God forbid. They were more concerned about their shining shoes, their well ironed pants with a seam so sharp it can cut you should you get too close. They stood there like spectators trying to avoid getting their uniform and shoes messed up in the dirty water that was claiming the lives of people in that minibus! They were supposed to be the ones who took the oath ‘To serve and Protect’, rather, they stood and watched mothers, daughters, fathers and brothers and sons struggle to survive.

One such hero came in the form of a 5ft 1 inch, approximately 110 pound angel by the name of Jeanette Campbell who rescued my 5ft 3 inch, 185 pound husband. She gave me the chance to speak to him one last time before he departed from this sinful earth. The police should have given this woman a citation for her bravery and persistence in saving Dr. Kyte’s life. Did they even acknowledge her, I guess not…but Dr. Kyte’s family would. We, the family feel it is the honourable thing to do. The police department did not show any compassion in reaching out to me in extending their condolences. No one tried to contact me to show any compassion to say in just a few words “I am sorry for your loss”. This gentleman went down to Linden to give back to society and ended up losing his life. I felt he gave so much and received so little at the time when he needed it most.
I would be remiss if I didn’t extent my gratitude to the driver of the car and Ms. Kathleen Rodney who stopped by the road side and transported my husband to the Linden hospital. Had they not done that, he would have been like a dog, hit by a car lying by the road side awaiting his last breath. Thank you Ms. Rodney for the compassion you have shown. You and Jeanette were heroes that day. There should have been a highway patrol on a busy, reckless driving highway to look out for drivers of this calibre. Have laws in place and penalties to prosecute these drivers who have no regard for human lives. There are too many of these vehicular homicides and what are the consequences?

Unfortunately, when my husband arrived at Linden hospital, he had to wait in line while the bacteria formed a host eating away at his lungs before he was attended hours later. Absolute incompetence!!!! This is really unacceptable in the approach of treating a ‘near drowning’ patient. Its either the hospital did not have the necessary equipment for a critical care patient or it was the lack of knowledge on the ER behalf that my husband did not get the proper critical care that should have been administered to him the FIRST 24 hours.
Heavy dose of antibiotics should have been administered. Sadly, the hospital didn’t have, how unfortunate.
The day shift nurses should be complimented for their dedication, and extended themselves with compassion in the preparation and transportation to Georgetown Hospital. Thank you Nurse Wong and Sabrina Lewis and Nurse Karew.
After Dr. Kyte was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, my emotions were like a roller coaster. I was hoping to bring my husband back to the U.S. within three days. I did not know the serious damage he encountered. I did not know how sick he was because no one told me anything. No one at the hospital gave me any information on my husband’s condition. Unlike the United States, the nurses and doctors feed you with information on the patient diagnosis and condition. It seems as if everyone was afraid to divulge information.

I felt alone and abandoned in a strange country and my hopes turned into despair due to the lack of compassion from the staff. I felt they were very insensitive to my situation and lacked empathy. They walked around with unpleasant countenances as though I did them something, I felt the tension and couldn’t understand the attitude they were exhibiting.

I could not understand their behaviour until I returned to the U.S., and looked back at the entire situation frame by frame. I thought to myself, wow, did they take the Florence Nightingale’s Oath? Or are they in this for a pay check?
As I relate my experience to others, 1 was told this is a normal behaviour towards “foreigners”. In the USA, you are given the opportunity to be at the bed side of your loved one as long as you need to be. The doctors would explain the patient’s condition with the family, the nurses explained every medication given and why, etc. No such thing happened in that unit. I was lost in an unknown environment. I was given a 1/2 hour visitation even though it’s my husband. I tried to get answers from a doctor, it took three days for a doctor to speak with me and that was after much intervention from a helpful overseas source.
Heavy dose of antibiotics should have been given to my husband to stop the progress of bacteria. If one type of bacteria didn’t work use another that was stronger. He also needed to be intubated immediately so as to eliminate the bacteria and dirty water that flooded his lungs. This was a very unfortunate situation. I believe their lack of critical care the first 24 hours that was not given cost my husband’s his life.
I recalled asking the doctor what was my husband’s prognosis, Doctor Husbands was very vague in her response. It’s like she was afraid to say. I asked her, “is he going to live or die, tell me something?” She said I can’t tell you that “don’t put words in my mouth.” I was not getting any information. I thought, “Lord I need to get my husband out of here!” The hospital policies should allow immediate family members such as spouse or parents close to their love ones in the room. I feel it helps in the healing progress of the patient. I would also recommend sensitivity training and constant communication between nurses and patients family member. Giving spouses the privilege to be at the bedside of critical care patients helps because the patients know they are not alone. It pierced my heart when my husband asked me to stay with him. I explained to him what I was told. I had to leave when visiting hours are up. He just turned on the other side and closed his eyes, as I sacrificed precious time while the staff ignored his request. He knew he was going to die and therefore, he wanted the reassurance that I was close by. However, He had his wish when I arrived in the USA because the hospital did not have those insensitive restrictions. I was in his room 24/7.
” To know that I was not given the privilege to be at his bedside as longer than I was allowed, really tore me up, especially when he told me that he would die he would not make it. I went to Matron Coby requesting some extra time to be at his bed side…. I am still waiting for her to grant that permission. I was even scolded for taking a picture of my husband and was told to delete it immediately I was told I had to get permission to take pictures of my husband. Really?  I was reprimanded when I slightly lifted the sheet to hold his hand, I was told not to lift the sheet. I thought to myself what is wrong with these people? Imagine, this was my husband and I could not touch him!!! The nurses must have felt I was asking for too much and they were retaliating at my actions. I did not do anything wrong. It was all out of love for my husband.
I was relieved when the air ambulance team came to transport my husband back to the U.S. What a relief. It should have happened earlier if it didn’t take the medical staff at Georgetown hospital two days to write the report informing the medical personnel in the U.S. of my husband’s condition. I thank Dr. Roger Luncheon, Mr. Michael Khan – CEO of the Georgetown Public Hospital, and Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran for their consistent intervention. It sped up things a little faster.
How many more victims will we have to die until the people of Guyana rise up and demand change in transportation policies?
Again, to those individuals who went above and beyond in helping me get through the emotional stress I encountered, I thank you: Nurse Thornhill, Beverly Chan, Dr. Andrea Lambert, Eddie Featherstone, Leona Kyte, Dion Albert, Dionne Bowen, Michael Roach, Carlos Kyte, Onika, Jean Dennis, Jasmine and Gloria. Also the many others whose stood by my side throughout that emotional ordeal and gave all the moral support I needed, I thank you.
To the others whom I did not mention, I have not forgotten, thank you, thank you. And may ‘God Bless Guyana’, the beloved country.
Mrs JENNY KYTE