2 family members discharged, 3 remain hospitalised

Wakapao suspected poisoning

Two members of the Wakapao, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) family that fell ill as a result of suspected poisoning after they consumed cassava bread were discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

A relative told Guyana Times on Sunday that Richard Thomas and Oscar Thomas were discharged after showing signs of improvement.
“We are really happy they pull through. After the two deaths, we were very worried if we were gonna lose the rest but this is a positive for us and we are happy,” the relative said.
The relative added that three more remain hospitalised, one of whom is in a serious condition in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The relative expressed hope that they all recover fully.
On Monday last, Selena Thomas died at the medical institution as a result of the said poisoning. A post-mortem examination performed on her remains on Wednesday could not determine the cause of death.
Samples were, however, taken and sent overseas for further analysis. Meanwhile, her father, Edward Richards, 76, who was also hospitalised, succumbed to the same symptoms on Wednesday as a result of his condition worsening.
A relative of the family told Guyana Times last week that the other family members are being treated for cyanide poisoning.
The relative expressed frustration over the mystery illness which has left two of her family members dead without answers as to what really could have caused their demise.
“I am devastated right now. I don’t know what to think or say. Just like that, they died. It could have been anybody. We all eat cassava bread all the time. Why now or how? I just can’t find answers. I hope the doctors find what it is soon because I am so scared because the others are still hospitalised,” she told this publication.
The disastrous ordeal started last week after the late Selena Thomas baked some eight cakes of cassava bread which she and her household consumed and shared with family.
The relative explained that soon after eating the cassava, which they reaped from their farm, they complained of stomach pains then started to vomit. They were rushed to the Suddie Hospital and later transferred to the GPHC due to the severity of their conditions.
The family called for a full investigation into the matter since the staple food is a main Amerindian dish and is consumed by almost every household. They are questioning how the consumption of this food could have led to these deaths.
Meanwhile, Indigenous leaders have also come out to voice their concerns on this issue. They also called for a thorough investigation into the matter and refuted the claims of cyanide poisoning reported to relatives by medical officials.
Further, Police ranks have been deployed to Wakapao Amerindian Reservation to investigate the circumstances leading to the deaths of the two persons and the hospitalisation of others.
G Division Commander, Khali Pareshram told this publication on Thursday that although no report had been formally made to any of the police stations, a team of police ranks was sent to the Amerindian village.