Deyalsingh sorry for not offering condolences for Sheranne

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has apologised for not offering condolences on the death of parliamentary clerk assistant Sheranne Samuel when asked about her medical care during a recent media conference.

He was speaking with Newsday following the Housing Ministry Housing and Village Improvement Programme north distribution ceremony Wednesday.

"I want to register my regret in the way I handled the question posed to me last week about the CT scanner in Port of Spain. I was so focused on answering the question that I forgot to offer my condolences to the family of Sheranne. It was an inexcusable lapse in judgement which I regret."

He said he subsequently spoke to the family on more than one occasion and explained how sorry he was.

"And I am really sorry for everyone that I hurt in not offering my condolences. I have no excuse. It was an excusable mistake and I just offer my deepest regrets for my temporary loss of humanity in that moment."

Samuel, 34, died on September 22 after being admitted to Port of Spain General Hospital with a massive headache. She could not be given a CT scan there, and her family had to pay for one privately, extending a delay in treatment. Her mother later told Newsday she had been found to have a massive blood clot on her brain.

When asked about the issue with the CT scanner at the covid19 media conference, Deyalsingh had said that the virus caused a delay in acquiring parts needed to repair the CT scanners. The North West Regional Health Authority in a statement denied Samuel's demise was due to a non-functioning CT scan machine at Port of Spain General Hospital.

A funeral service for her was held last Friday and tributes were paid to Samuel prior to the presentation of the 2020/2021 national budget on Monday.

Samuel, a member of the Rotary Club of St Augustine, was about to get married, and, after financing her studies, was recently accepted at the Hugh Wooding Law School.