Region three Administration defends West Demerara Regional Hospital following student’s death

Following the death of a 13-year-old student who collapsed at her school on Thursday and was subsequently taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the Regional Administration- Region Three has indicated that the school took too long to respond to the case.

The regional administration in a letter to the media today said Mariza Kissoon of Lot 1518 Westminster, La Parfaite Harmonie died before reaching the hospital.

Kissoon collapsed at the New Era Academy, a private school in Parfait Harmonie on Thursday and never regained consciousness.

While expressing its condolences to the grieving family, it has noted with grave concern an article published in the Sunday’s Stabroek Newspaper dated October 23, 2016, carrying the caption, “Family baffled by West Dem teen’s sudden death – head teacher decries poor treatment at hospital.”

The administration revealed that Kissoon was transported to the Emergency Room, less than five minutes after her arrival at the hospital.

“The young lady was then immediately triaged by a nurse at her bedside who did not get any response (vital signs) from her. The nurse then assumed the help of the Doctor on duty that afternoon. Upon assumption at Ms. Kissoon’s bedside which was in less than two (2) minutes, she was already cyanotic, cold to touch, there was no rise and fall in her chest, her pupils were already dilated and not reactive to light, there was no corneal reflex, no pulse, no breath sounds and no heart sounds” the statement said.

After careful examination of the child and knowing that the child had no signs of life and could not be resuscitated, the nurse was instructed to remove the oxygen.

“This was a death before arrival at the hospital (D.B.A.)” the Administration under whose purview that hospital falls said.

Turning its attention to utterances made by the Head Teacher of the school, the body said it is “deeply moved and extremely shocked by the story carried in the newspaper.”

It was noted in previous media reports that the teen’s sister, Pollyana Kissoon, said upon her arrival at the school, she noticed the teen was in the office unconscious while the “teachers were panicking so I told them she has to go to the doctor.”

She explained that her sister left home in good health and never suffered from any complications in the past.