Tobago mouns Dr King’s death

Tobagonians was plunged into mourning on Saturday with news that Dr Kevin King, 39, had died at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, India, where he was scheduled to undergo a critical liver transplant.

King had left Tobago on April 8 via air ambulance to undergo the operation. Reports are that his condition worsened with him suffering cardiac arrest in the hours leading up to the transplant operation and he had to be placed on a ventilator.

King, who is from Moriah, was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at age five. He was last hospitalised for treatment relating to this condition 17 years ago. Earlier this year, he suffered an acute crisis and investigations revealed that he had cirrhosis of the liver. An emergency transplant was recommended, a donor found, and hospital and medical team located.

Tobagonians rallied to King’s cause, joining in efforts to help raise funds to make the surgery. The THA came to King’s assistance, providing support for transport to the hospital in India. King was trained at St George’s University, Grenada, with funding from THA, and returned to Tobago where he has been practising medicine for the last 13 years.

Last Tuesday, relatives, friends, co-workers gathered at the Scarborough General Hospital for an evening of prayer for a successful surgery, and recovery by King.

On Saturday, news of his passing at 2:47 am, was posted on social media, with thetribute that “even in his last days, Kevin reminded us of the great things that we can all accomplish when we work together. Thank you, thank all of you. May his soul rest in peace and rise again in glory.”

On Saturday, Chief Executive Officer of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) Ingrid Melville told Newsday Tobago, that the staff were saddened to hear of King’s passing.

“It is really a sad day and a tragic loss because Dr King was a person who brought a lot of hope, and even in his transfer for medical treatment everyone was hopeful for a positive outcome. The TRHA will have to provide employee assistance support for the staff members because he was a colleague. We did offer up prayers last week because we believed there is a higher divine power to bring him through,” Melville said.

“It is a loss, he brought so many forces together in Tobago and I wish that his momentum and legacy could be maintained for the development of the future of Tobago,” she added.

Health Secretary Dr Agatha Carrington said ‘s death was a great loss to Tobago’s medical fraternity.

“He has been one working diligently to improve the health care in Tobago. His firm and all his colleagues will miss him, we are certainly mourning his loss. We at the Division are still committed to supporting the family; we were able to support his transfer to the hospital for the liver transplant, however the circumstances changed.

“While we are saddened, we are grateful to have the calibre of Dr King on our staff because he did do very good work during his lifetime and has impacted many lives,” she said.

The THA is working on having King’s body returned to Tobago.