POLICE are continuing their investigation into an alleged poisoning of a graduate nursing assistant attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The results of the analysed sample of the local beverage which was sent to Georgetown is yet to be received by investigators at Central Police Station.

Tameca Carter, age 24, of Lot 571 Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme in East Canje, had earlier left her home to commence working the 13:00hrs to 21:00 hrs shift on July 29. Prior to her leaving home, she had prepared a fruit drink consisting of ginger and passion fruit, which she, along with other members of her family, had consumed.

She had bottled some of the beverage and had taken same to her work place where, as customary, she stored it in a fridge.

That very day a colleague was being buried, so she left the health institution to attend the funeral. About two or three hours after returning from the funeral, she removed the beverage from the refrigerator as she prepared to take a meal.
But having drunk some of the beverage, the nurse complained of her head ‘swinging’ and a change in her medical condition, before losing consciousness.

The nurse was rushed to the Accident and Emergency Department, and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, where she stayed for several days.
Her mother, Bernice Carter, told the Chronicle that her daughter was kept in the ICU for safe keeping, as it was suspected that a colleague may have laced her drink with poison.

Since her discharge, the nurse has visited private health institutions where further blood tests were done. This reporter was informed that Nurse Carter, who is expected to resume duty on Monday, has since been transferred to a health centre in her community.

Persons have since voiced their concern over the tardiness of the relevant authorities in having the beverage content analysed, so as to accurately determine the cause of the nurse’s sudden illness.

Further, the populace has expressed fear of being ‘mistakenly poisoned’ by a medical practitioner with whom they may have had a grievance.

Nurses are reminded of the Florence Nightingale Oath, in which they pledge to, “abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug”.

By Jeune Vankerick