DOCTORS and staff at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation are working feverishly to bring relief to those children suffering serious injuries as a result of the three-vehicle ‘smash

up’ at Golden Fleece, West Coast Berbice,last Thursday.
Six children of nursery and primary school age were rushed to the GPHC in serious condition Thursday morning, suffering mainly head injuries, while eight others were treated at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital (MCH) and sent home.

Those still receiving treatment and under doctors’ close watch at the GPHC when the Guyana Chronicle visited the Paediatric Ward yesterday were: Roniaya Glasgow, 5; Lawrence Marks, 5; Malachi Duncan, 5: Aiden Joseph, 4-plus; and Emriquez Lewis, 9. The sixth child showed considerable improvement and was discharged Thursday afternoon.
Parents and grandparents have expressed gratitude to the doctors and staff for the highly professional and attentive care rendered to the children, noting that they feared the worst when they first saw them after the accident.

Holly Ann Joseph, mother of four-year-old Aiden Joseph,breathed a sigh of relief, repeatedly asserting: “|We are grateful to the doctors. They did a good job and must be complimented.”
The parents who remained at the hospital round the clock, even as the children were being operated on, attested to the fact that the doctors worked as late as 2:00 hrs the following morning.

Little Raniaya Glasgow who sustained severe injuries to both hands was experiencing excruciating pains yesterday as evidenced by her continuous wailing. But she had regular intervention from the medical staff on duty. Grafting was done and she is to return to the theatre for further surgical attention.

Meanwhile, the head of Malachi Duncan was heavily bandaged, his back was strapped, and so was his left arm. He managed to sit up in bed, but candidly stated his position: “I don’t want to go back in that bus anymore and I don’t want to go back to school anymore!”
Lawrence Marks was also being treated for head injuries and his head was strapped, but he was asleep when this newspaper visited the ward.
The only Primary School child brought to the GPHC –Enriquez Lewis suffered severe injuries to both knees. He sustained deep wounds and the flesh was badly torn, his mother Duwana Chichester said.

Ever since the accident and admission of the children, mothers and grandmothers have remained glued to the hospital benches. “We share their pains. We feel it for them and every time they cry our hearts bleed. So we just want to be around,” one mother said.