Three members of a Barrackpore family, one of whom is in a critical condition, are being kept in isolation at the hospital after exhibiting symptoms similar to the swine flu.
Russell Ramgobin said tests for swine flu were done on his father, Reuben, 53, mother Yvette, 52 and grandmother Chandra, 82, at the San Fernando General Hospital but they have not yet received the results.
They, however, have been isolated from the other patients and their visitors are required to wear a mask.
His father’s condition has since deteriorated. He is hooked up to a life support machine at the Intensive Care Unit.
“He cannot breathe on his own. The doctors said he could hear but he is not responding to what you say. His eyes are open but he is not blinking.”
He said the doctors told them that all three has a respiratory tract infection. Ramgobin said his grandmother is being kept alone in a room on Ward 13 while his mother is on Ward 9.
He said a curtain has been pulled around his mother’s bed. They are also bedridden. Apart from having to provide all their personal items, Ramgobin said he also has to purchase their medication - Tamiflu.
“They told us we have a buy the medication. The tablet is very expensive. One tablet is like $44. Each of them has to take the tablet twice a day. Imagine we even have to buy adult pampers.”
According to an internet search, Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is an antiviral medicine that prevents and treats influenza types A (including the swine flu) and B.
“Everyone speculating, but we not sure if they have the Swine Flu.” However, Ramgobin said he, his wife and other relatives were advised by doctors at the hospital to get vaccinated for the flu.
“We all got our shots. But, since my parents and grandmother fell ill, no one else in my family complained about feeling unwell.”
He said his parents and grandmother live together at GP Road. About a week prior to their hospitalisation, Ramgobin said his mother and father began experiencing flu-like symptoms.
However, they called the ambulance on January 6, after had difficulty breathing.
There have been three confirmed deaths related to the swine flu. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has confirmed that there were 17 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1) in the last year. He said there have also been two cases of H3N2 and two cases of Influenza B.