The paediatrician who treated Kristiano Bissessar, grandson of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is urging persons with dengue-like symptoms to seek early medical attention. Dr Jose Nunez, who is attached to the Paediatric Ward of the San Fernando General Hospital, also advised doctors treating suspected cases, not to rely solely on the dengue tests to determine a course of treatment. "Dengue tests can be negative in the beginning, so doctors should rely on the blood count, look for trends in the white blood cells and platelets dropping. This is what we do," Dr Nunez explained. He referred to the death of seven-year-old Sarah Ovid, of Block Five, Palmiste, close to the PM's private residence at Philippine, saying the initial dengue test done came back negative.
He added: "I am not trying to make the family or anyone look bad, but the initial test done proved to be negative and she was being treated for gastro. "She came in to us on the fifth day of her illness and she died. Her sister, who came in on the first day of illness was treated and she is fine," Nunez said. He added: "The point I am stressing is that if you come in early and get treatment early you will get well." He added that from last weekend to date, he had treated about ten suspected cases in children under 12. "But there are four units treating children, so I cannot give an actual count of the number of cases at the hospital right now. Most of the patients I treated, including Kristiano, have been discharged. "Right now, I am treating about three of them but every day we are admitting new cases," Dr Nunez added.
