Three prisoners die from sepsis, pneumonia

Three prisoners have died from sepsis and pneumonia between June and September this year.

Sources confirmed that Wayne Baptiste, Joseph Massy and Eric Stevenson died on June 29, August 26 and September 5 respectively.

Post-mortem examinations on the three men at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Wednesday, confirmed they died from sepsis and pneumonia.

Contacted for comment, acting Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar expressed condolences to the men’s families noting that they were ill for some time and died while being treated at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

"I am concerned over the short spate of time in which these deaths occurred. I can't explain the timing, but I can say that there is nothing untoward at the prison.

"We are a very transparent organisation and I can say that there was nothing untoward or unnatural about these deaths.

"There have been incidents where we had ill or injured prisoners and they were taken to the hospital for treatment and brought back to the insitution (prison) where they remained."

Sources said only Massy's relatives have come forward to make funeral arrangements.

The authorities have attempted to contact Baptiste and Stevenson's families but were not successful.

The bodies were stored at the Mt Hope mortuary and sent to a funeral home for storage.

They were then taken to another funeral home last week before being taken to the Forensic Science Centre.

Funeral home workers said, in such cases where bodies are unclaimed by relatives they are given a basic burial, paid for by the State, at the Carapo cemetery.