A- 52-year-old man is now dead after being hit with a glass bottle to his left ankle and relatives are alleging negligence on the part of Port Mourant Hospital, which they say may have contributed to his death.

Dead is Richard Dundas called ‘Mathics’ of Kildonan Village Corentye, Berbice. The incident occurred at approximately 20:00 hrs on Wednesday at a popular grocery shop in Kildonan where ‘Mathics’ usually works.

According to the proprietor, Ivan Dipnarine, he was having dinner when he heard a bottle break and he asked his daughter to find out what happened. She told him ‘Mathics’ foot was bleeding.

“I come out to check and I saw him in a lot of blood. He told me that ‘Feg’ [suspect’s call-name] pelt him with a bottle and burst his foot,” Dipnarine said.

He said he and his children tried to stop the bleeding by tying the foot with a cloth, but that did not do much as the bleeding continued. The Guyana Chronicle understands that Dundas lost consciousness several times.

With the assistance of the police the wounded man was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, where he was treated and sent away. However it seems that his Achilles tendon had been severed and he died when he returned home.

Dundas’ cousin, Denis Bagot, said he was disappointed with the doctor who decided not to admit Dundas. “Mathics was not conscious when we collect him to come home, he was very, very weak. He could barely walk and even get up. I keep begging the doctor to keep him or transfer him to New Amsterdam but she keep saying he is ok , let him go home,” Bagot said.

He said that his cousin continued to bleed on his way home and was crying out for pain.

“He could not even move. That’s how weak he was and they see he was in that state yet they let him come home.”

Dundas returned home around 22:00 hrs and had to be lifted into his yard and approximately 25 minutes later, he stopped responding.

“I was cleaning him for bed because he had a lot of blood all over him, then he start get stiff stiff and I hurry over to call the shop man and by the time we reach back he dead,” a cousin told this newspaper.

The Police returned and after verifying that he was not breathing, called the funeral parlour, which transported the body to the Port Mourant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by the very doctor who treated him earlier.

Some residents of Kildonan and relatives said that the hospital did not provide any medication or blood to the man even after they explained he bled a lot and arrived at the hospital in a semi -conscious state.

They are of the view that if he had received better treatment and was kept for observation, his life could have been spared. They are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

Dundas is well known in the community and would do odd jobs from time to time. He was described as a caring and loving individual who would always try to make others laugh.

“He always jokes with everyone and is never taken seriously which is why everyone is questioning why someone would want to hurt him”, one resident said.

His death sent shockwaves throughout the community as many recall seeing him moments before his death. The suspect, who hails from Kildonan, was arrested by sleuths from the Whim Police Station.

The suspect reportedly went into hiding after the incident. A post mortem examination of the body is expected to be performed soon.