“I love you mommy.” Those were the last words Stevenson Balchan, 16, told his mother Sara Campbell before he died. A distraught Campbell now wants answers as to why her son, whom she describes as “ extremely bright and energetic,” died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope.
Campbell told Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne that in September last year, Balchan collapsed at school and when he was taken to the hospital, following several tests, doctors told her he had a brain tumour and they would have to do surgery. She said a surgical procedure was done at the EWMSC in October last year and a stent was inserted in Balchan’s head. But all did not go well and doctors subsequently told her that her son had developed an infection. He was then transferred to a private room and later to an open ward.
Concerned after still seeing signs of the infection, the mother said she pleaded with doctors for answers. She got none. Instead, she alleges the doctor instructed a security guard to put her out the wards at the time. The guard, according to Campbell, refused to comply.
Balchan died last week and was laid to rest on Tuesday (April 8). But his mother says she still has no answers on how her son died.
She has been given several reasons, from problems with his back to fever. She now has to wait seven days to get the results of a third autopsy. Campbell now wants Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan to investigate her son’s death and tell her just why the apple of her eye and a child who was always so full of life died so soon.
Crime Watch host Alleyne, visibly upset at the death, lamented the state of health care in the country, saying: “It’s a fallacy to say everyone finds an equal place here. If you don’t know someone in high office crapaud smoke your pipe.”
Unsolved Mysteries:
Alleyne spoke to the 31-year-old wife of pastor Vishnu “Pastor Kitty” Lutchmansingh about the incident in which the well known pastor shot and killed his brother, Kishan, before setting his home on fire and shooting himself to death. Although it is believed he died in the fire, the police stopped the funeral pending DNA tests. His wife says as far as she knows her husband died in the fire.
Assistant senior supt Johnny Abraham told Alleyne there will be no funeral and no closure on this case until the results of the tests come back and that may take 5-6 weeks.