Husband recovering in Wakapoa mystery illness

Richard Thomas, the husband of Selema Thomas who died Monday following a mysterious illness, is now recovering at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Three other family members remain hospitalized after reportedly eating pepperpot and cassava bread two Mondays ago.

The 38-year-old mother of two died at GPHC while receiving treatment.

Mr Thomas, who spoke with the News Room Tuesday via telephone, said he experienced symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, severe headache and fever.

“I am feeling real fine from when I came here to this present moment,” Thomas said.

“I took ill on Monday evening (June 10); I took in with like bad feelings and like half an hour after that I start to vomit…this vomit last for like three minutes and then I slept,” Thomas said.

He said he woke up at midnight and continued to vomit and experienced diarrhoea.

“Tuesday now I took two Panadol and the vomiting…it finish. But what I observe now is that I start suffer with headache and severe fever,” Thomas said.

He continued, “What I observe from Tuesday, my urine was a dark brown condition.”

Thomas said he and his wife visited the local health centre in the village on Wednesday and were given medication and sent away.

But when their condition worsened for the next two days they were transported to the Charity Hospital and admitted. Late Friday they were transferred to the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Saturday morning.

“She also been [suffering] from the same bad feelings and I was the one who was very ill, not her and it surprise me that we end till here at the Georgetown hospital and yesterday she passed away,” Thomas said.

He said his wife also suffered from high blood pressure and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit until she died.

Thomas said he does farming as his livelihood, while his wife worked as a cook at the Wakapoa Secondary school.

The other family members include Selema’s brother Davin, her father Edward and father-in-law Oscar.

A post mortem examination is expected to be conducted on Wednesday.