CHEST doctors are yet to operate on teen waitress Onika Luke, who was shot to the chin during an attempted robbery at her part-time place of employment — the Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara — on May 27 last, when a lone gunman stormed the business place and she failed to comply with the gunman’s request that she give him all the money in the cash register.

Besides taking a bullet in the chin, Luke’s left thumb was also shot off in the attack.

Relatives say that although the teen appears to be slowly healing, the bullet has since moved from her throat into her chest cavity.

Her brother, Wendell Ranjee, has said, “She is feeling much better and is healing. The neck specialist said that the bullet moved from there and headed to the chest region. Now chest doctors have to take charge, but I wasn’t told when this will happen.”

Reflecting on the progression of events, Ranjee said the teen was discharged from a private city hospital one week after the incident, and was admitted to the Public Hospital after it was realised that although the bill had surpassed $1M, nothing had been done for the teen.

“Nothing was done at the private hospital; and when enquiries were made as to when the surgery would be done, they didn’t know,” Ranjee said, adding: “I asked them what would be the average cost for her to stay there until the surgery is done, and I was told it would cost almost $80,000 a day.”

Acknowledging that his sister’s employer was standing the medical bill at the private hospital, Ranjee said it would be reckless to spend money when nothing was being done.

The first round of surgery was done at the Georgetown Public Hospital, after the wounded area became infected and the bullet had moved to below the teen’s collar bone.

As things now stand, the teen is unable to eat or breathe properly because of the position where the bullet is lodged; and this is what makes the operation complicated.
In the meantime, the police are on the hunt for the suspect, while the investigation is in progress.