By INVERA ARJOON Friday, November 20 2009

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TAKEN FOR TREATMENT: Both wearing masks to minimise the spread of the Influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) virus, are a medic at the San Fernando General Hosp...

RELATIVES of a south Trinidad man who died at the SFGH on Monday after allegedly suffering with the Influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) virus yesterday remained tight lipped about details surrounding his death.

While the family on Wednesday claimed the findings of a post mortem showed the man died from swine flu, the relatives yesterday said they did not want any stigmatisation or victimisation and are choosing to remain silent.

The post mortem was also done on Wednesday and family said he had been hospitalised for more than two weeks at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the SFGH.

Hospital officials said they could not comment on the death but said they were doing the best they could to cope with swine flu cases. All patients are being treated with tami flu the hospital official said. Five confirmed swine flu related deaths have been reported in this country so far and all five patients died at the SFGH.

When Newsday visited the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday at about 2.30 pm, long waiting periods continued for patients.

Patients exhibiting flu like symptoms who showed up to be swabbed or assessed for Influenza A/H1N1 lamented that the health system was failing them. Junior Swaan said he was waiting with his ill five-year-old son since 11 am and still had not been able to see a doctor.

“The system is really slow and people are suffering but what is worst is that there are so many young children who are really being punished by the failure of those in authority to act.”

Cheryl Mohammed complained that when her five-year-old daughter was seen by a doctor another nightmare unfolded. “I was told she had a severe lung infection and needed to be warded but we have been waiting under this tent all day and she still has not gotten admitted.”

Meanwhile, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is calling for a holistic investigation into the swine flu outbreak which seems to be prevalent in south Trinidad. Moonilal is making the request to the Ministry of Health and other authorities in light of the latest discovery that a pupil of the Debe Hindu School contracted swine flu.

Moonilal is insisting that the authorities urgently sanitise the school. Moonilal said the relevant authorities should ascertain whether the relative prevalence of A/H1N1 in south Trinidad is linked to the lack of water supply to several communities.

He is calling on the Water and Sewerage Authority to improve its supply to the areas critically affected by the absence of a supply or receive an intermittent flow.

He said he fears the situation could worsen and more lives could be put at risk if the crisis is not urgently addressed by the respective authorities. Meantime at the Debe Hindu School attendance was yesterday estimated to be about 15 percent of the school’s student population.