Written by Jeune Bailey Vankeric
DOCTOR Phyzul Sattaur succumbed to multiple injuries he sustained when his motor car, PJJ 6228, rear-ended motor lorry GPP 251 along the Farm Public Road on the East Coast of Berbice last Sunday evening, robbing the Berbice medical fraternity of one of its stalwart practitioners.

In an invited comment, Regional Chairman Mr. David Armogan, who is closely associated with the practitioner’s family, said an autopsy conducted on Monday revealed that the doctor had sustained several broken ribs.

“His entire body  broken up. He had a lot of internal injuries. The doctors (at the New Amsterdam Hospital) tried their best, but under these circumstances it would have been extremely difficult to do any better,” Armogan told the Chronicle.
“The Berbice community has lost a good doctor. He had been practising for over 30 years. He had been involved in several community medical outreaches along with the Lions. The medical fraternity has lost a good comrade,” Armogan declared.
Armogan said Sattaur was not in the habit of driving at night, but he had earlier gone to a CME meeting with other members of the medical association, then he had gone on to the Albion Sports Complex, where he had viewed a game of cricket before heading for his Lot 5 Coburg Street home in New Amsterdam.
Sadly, Dr Sattaur never arrived home.

Edwin Ramsundar recalled receiving a telephone call from his son Mordecai, driver of the lorry involved in the accident, shortly after 19:30 hrs on Sunday, which caused him to leave his Number Two Village, East Canje home and head to Farm village, approximately 1 1/2 miles away, where he spoke to his son.
“(My son) heard a noise, followed by a sudden impact,” Ramsundar said. “Initially, he did not know what was wrong, but he disengaged the engine and used the clutch, which allowed the vehicle to roll in the corner. As a result of the impact, his upper body suffered a hard hit at the steering wheel, resulting in him being subsequently hospitalised after he complained of pain and (also had) an elevated blood pressure.”
The elder Ramsundar said his vehicle is currently being utilised by rice farmers to transport paddy from the field to the millers. His son was returning from Hack’s Rice Mills at Black Bush Polder, when the accident occurred.

Kushnarine Deonarine, called Kennard, was imbibing “a few drinks” at a nearby shop when he heard the impact and saw persons running and screaming. After enquiring what had happened, he went to the accident scene, where he saw the driver of the motor car pinned behind the wheel, with the air bag inflated.
“A lot of persons had surrounded the car, but no one was attempting to get him out, as he was bleeding bad (profusely). He was strapped to the seat, and his head was tilted to the left.
“After several attempts, we broke the door open, (and) when I lifted him out, he was breathing. I attempted to throw water on his face, but the onlookers told me not to do so. His face had a lot of blood.
“After I took him out of the car,  I placed him on the ground  and made several attempts to get a vehicle to transport him to the New Amsterdam Hospital, but many drivers refused, saying the blood will be difficult to remove from their vehicles.
“Eventually, about 30-45 minutes (afterwards), Leon (a villager) came with his pick-up truck, (and) three other men assisted me in lifting him into the tray of the truck. The pick-up took him to the hospital.”
Mrs Dolly Sattaur said her 40-year marriage to Dr Sattaur has produced four children. Her husband, who had celebrated his 69th birthday on May 5 last, had been a Poland-trained doctor. The children — Sharon, Lana, Michelle, and son Andre — are expected in the country by Wednesday, after which funeral arrangements will be made.