By Sue-Ann Wayow
GLEN Ramroop was once a 34-year-old fabricator with no physical illness and the breadwinner of his family, taking care of his elderly parents.
However, Ramroop passed away last Saturday at 7am at the Augustus Long Hospital that has been designated for the most ill Covid-19 patients. His funeral is set for Friday.
His relatives are questioning if he indeed died from Covid-19 or another illness and are asking for an investigation into his untimely passing.
Ramroop’s death certificate states that he died as a result of acute respiratory distress syndrome – Covid-19 pneumonia, Type II diabetes mellitus, meningoencephalitis – a neurological condition.
He was fully vaccinated against the deadly virus having received his second shot of the Sinopharm vaccine in July.
His family members are devastated but are not sure what transpired as Ramroop also complained of issues with his tonsils and being unable to walk.
Ramroop lived with his parents in Ste Madeleine, San Fernando.
His sister Melissa Ramroop spoke with AZPNews.com and said since her brother and only sibling took his second dose of Covid-19 vaccine, he was never the same.
She said although Ramroop was diabetic, he never suffered any adverse effects and was not on any serious medication.
“Since he took his last shot of the Sinopharm vaccine in July, he started to complain about feeling really tired all the time and he was not himself.”
She described him as usually jolly person.
Melissa said he never wanted to accept the vaccine but because of work, he took it.
Ramroop worked at TOSL Engineering Ltd in Marabella. Melisssa said the company has expressed support following his death.
Beginning of the health demise
His health demise began on September 29 which began like any ordinary day.
Melissa said he went to work but when he returned home in the evening, he started feeling ill.
“He was just by himself when he came home from work. He just went into his room. A little while after, he started to complain that he was not feeling well and that he felt as if he was choking,” she said.
He was asked by his mother if he wanted to go to the health centre of which he was initially hesitant but was taken to the Princes Town District Facility the same day where he was attended to but no medication was given.
He was given a prescription to purchase antibiotics and was told his medical condition was due to issues with his tonsils.
The following day, around 2am, Ramroop again felt as though he was choking and a call was made to the ambulance service which his sister said took a while to arrive.
She said at that point, he was able to walk to the ambulance but with a limp since his right leg was giving him trouble.
He had difficulty getting unto the ambulance stretcher.
Ramroop was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital, Accident and Emergency Department where he remained until he begged his family to come for him because he did not like the treatment from the staff.
He called Melissa around 6.18am asking to come home.
Melissa said he was told that he could not come home yet but he begged to.
She said her brother wanted to use the washroom but when he went, he fell to the floor but was ignored by all who passed by.
“My brother was on his knees on the ground asking for help and everybody passing, only asking him, ‘what are you doing on the ground?’ and he told them, if I had the strength to go on my own on the stretcher, I would not be asking for help. Nobody offered to help him.”
He eventually made it to the stretcher on his own.
She added, “I believe these people took an oath to take care of people and they should not treat people like that.”
Seeking private care
Ramroop left the hospital with a family member after telling the staff that he would instead seek medical attention privately. That occurred and he sought advice from a doctor in Penal who told him that his tonsils were swollen and he also received medication in the form of antibiotics. By that time, he lost strength in both his legs and had to resort to a wheelchair.
“I really thought he was having a stroke,” she said.
He came home and his condition worsened.
“It seemed as if he was paralyzed from the waist down,” Melissa said.
Her brother was taken to another doctor on October 1 also in Penal who mentioned to him almost immediately that he was experiencing a stroke.
The doctor wrote a referral letter to give to hospital doctors and when he arrived after being carried by relatives, he received medical treatment right away at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Back at San Fernando Hospital
Ramroop was administered a Covid-19 test and no one was allowed to be near him and the family was told if he was a positive case, he would be sent to either the Point Fortin Hospital. If he tested negative, he would be taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at San Fernando.
At that point, relatives were told that he may have had Guillian-Barre Syndrome.
He was never diagnosed with the syndrome but was given treatment for it, she added.
He was eventually sent to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and the family was contacted by the hospital with a request from doctors for a meeting during which the family was told, Ramroop’s condition was worsening and even death was expected.
That meeting took place on October 3.
Melissa said it was heartbreaking to see her brother on the ventilator machine with tubes all over his body.
During the period that he was in hospital, she said about two or three Covid-19 tests were conducted and they all returned negative. The family has no proof of that as no results were shown.
Two days after, they were told all his organs were failing and he was going to be placed on a dialysis machine and there was no mention of any trace of Covid-19.
Covid positive
Then on October 7, relatives were allowed to see him and was told directly after that he was Covid positive.
She said, “On October 7, my mom and dad and a relative went and then we were told that he was Covid positive. They visited him and then doctors got the information that he was Covid positive around the same time.
“They could have at least notified us before. They mentioned to us that he will be moved to Augustus Long Hospital and they will let us know when that takes place. No one knew when he was moved to Augustus Long.”
They asked for a private PCR test to be done but was denied the opportunity,
On October 8, he was transferred to the Augustus Long Hospital and after he was transferred, then the family was informed.
Melissa said while at the ICU in Augustus Long, the doctors called everyday with an update on Ramroop’s condition.
The family was also told that there was bacteria in his body but it could not be determined what type.
She is asking, “Is there is cover-up? Are the doctors blaming his death on Covid when it is something else?”
Melissa said, “All we would like to know is if he was Covid positive or not. We accept the fact that he is no longer here with us but we would like to have a proper funeral done, to be able to send him of, to be able to see his face one last time.”
Patients treated for all symptoms
At the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference on Wednesday, AZPNews.com asked Chief Medical Office Dr Roshan Parasram about the care administered to patients.
He responded, “When a patient goes into hospital, they are treated for all their signs, all their symptoms, all their diseases. They are not treated for one particular disease only.”
The CMO said patients will be initially treated for what they present to medical staff.
He said, “They will treat that or the most severe condition requiring treatment first, if you have signs or symptoms that suggest other illnesses that will also be treated at the same time.”
There may be underlying issues and medical staff will treat as they see fit, Dr Parasram added.
The South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has also been informed of the family’s plight and is communicating with relatives on the issue.
