Dead Rio Claro woman's son wants decision on autopsy

The son of a woman who dropped dead outside her home in Rio Claro wants her medical records and also wants to know if an autopsy will be done on her body.

Attorneys for Fazal Khan, son of Rohanie Samdai, wrote to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Chief Medical Officer Roshan Parasram on Friday seeking clarity.

Khan is represented by attorneys Lemuel Murphy, Joseph Sookoo and Terry Boyer.

Their letter said Samdai, who lived alone, went to the Rio Claro Health Facility on September 1 because she was not feeling well. She took a covid19 test and was told to self-isolate for 14 days.

Two days later, she was found dead outside her home.

The police were called and Samdai’s body was taken to the Rio Claro health facility, where the district medical office prounounced her dead.

Her body was then taken to the Mt Hope mortuary for an autopsy.

The letter said since then, Samdai’s body has been in the State’s custody. It also said on September 15, Khan received his mother’s covid19 test result, which was negative.

Khan was told he would be able to identify her body the next day and he was to make arrangements with the police and a funeral home to take it when the autopsy was done.

The letter said after Khan identified the body, a senior doctor chose to do another covid19 test, and he was told he would have to await those results before a decisionwas made on whether the body would be released to him.

Boyer said the family was even more distressed since they are Muslims and according to Islam, the body should be buried as soon as possible after death.

“This meant that funeral planning and preparations should not be delayed. To date this has not been done,” Boyer wrote.

Khan also asked for his mother’s medical records, but was denied them.

Boyer said they are concerned about the decision of the doctor to order another covid19 test, since this was contrary to the Health Ministry’s guidelines for hospital staff and funeral agencies.

He asked for the minister and CMO to explain and also to provide his client with copies of all Samdai’s medical records.

Boyer also said they expected a decision will be made to do an autopsy on Samdai’s body, adding that her family also reserved the right to have an independent one done.

“We also expect that having informed you, by this letter, of our intention to consider the result of the second covid19 test and/or any autopsy conducted by the State and or any decision to cremate the body as a result of any positive covid19 result that you will not take such steps until we have concluded our deliberation,” the attorney said.

He reminded that a similar concession was granted to the family of Sea Lots businessman Cedric “Burkie” Burke.

“We cannot express the current state of mental distress and anxiety our client and his family is undergoing as they cannot grieve in peace and bring closure to the passing of their loved one due to this continued detention of the body of their loved one,” Boyer wrote.

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