[UPDATED] Debe actor with dengue needs blood platelets

SHIVA GANGARAM – actor, dancer and director – of the Gangaram Family Drama Group in Debe is in urgent need of blood platelets, his sister Aliesha Gangaram told Newsday on July 17.

Although just 22, Shiva Gangaram has crafted a range of plays from the humorous (such as The Reality of Life, on YouTube) to a celebration of Indian Arrival Day since he graduated from the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, UWI St Augustine.

"We post videos every month," Aliesha said.

She said Shiva has been warded for the past four days at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) ICU with a very low count of his blood platelets as he battles dengue fever.

Aliesha Gangaram made a public appeal in a Facebook post on Tuesday: "Looking for any doctor assistance to help with increasing the platelets or anywhere that we can have access to it. My brother is in ICU in the hospital and it dropped to four and they don’t have any platelets to give him. Please pray for him. We need him to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. Any information please contact 762-6816.

"The papaya leaf is not working with him."

Platelets are tiny cell fragments in mammals' blood that form clots to stop or prevent bleeding.

When Newsday spoke to Aliesha, she said the hospital had just sourced one bag of platelets, which had slightly improved his count to five.

She said a normal count was 400, while patients can be discharged at 50.

Aliesha said the hospital had been calling around to get more platelets for Gangaram but with very limited success.

"He is in a lot of pain and a lot of weakness. He needs more, maybe five packs, but there is nowhere he can get it because they are calling all over, even Tobago. They said none is available. We don't know if there is a private institution where we can buy it."

She said since Gangaram had got ill on July 9, he seemed to be getting progressively worse each day.

Aliesha said the hospital was discouraging relatives from shopping around for platelets themselves, even though the SFGH seemed to be challenged in obtaining sufficient supplies.

"Every day we go it is the same problem. It is only today we got a bag.

"We are hoping for the best. We are looking around to see if we can source it anywhere and hopefully, he gets better soon.

"He is the head of the Gangaram Family Drama Group. It's really bad to see him in this way instead of being well. He does a lot of stuff for the community.

"To see somebody good in this state is really bad."

She said she had spoken to a private lab but had not yet been quoted a price.

"We have to go in to speak to them. But then the hospital does not want us to go 'outside'.

"That is what we are kind of worried about. Then he keeps on 'dropping', so I don't know what to do."

Newsday sought advice from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh about the availability of platelets.

In a reply via WhatsApp, the minister said, "That comes from the Blood Bank. They will be supplied as there is no issue.

"The need for platelets is a clinical decision made by the attending physician."

Newsday asked if more people should donate blood, especially if there was now a heightened demand at the moment because of dengue.

Deyalsingh replied, "I have been encouraging people to become voluntary donors since 2022.

"People are free to donate at any time."

The US Government's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) website said an adult's normal platelet count is 150,000-400,000 platelets per microlitre of blood.

The website said the dengue virus may curb the bone marrow's production of platelets and increase platelet destruction in the bloodstream.

While advising consultation with one's doctor, the website suggested natural ways to build platelet count by consuming foods such as coconut water, spinach, liver, eggs, lentils, pumpkin, mangoes and oranges.

Newsday asked Aliesha if she knew of other people in her area with dengue.

She replied, "Not that I know of, but I have seen a couple of people have it. They went privately and they got better.

"The problem is the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) is supposed to clean our drains. There is a big drain at the back of our home."

She suggested the drain was linked to a prevalence of mosquitoes around their home.

She said the family has repeatedly asked the corporation to clean the drain but to no avail so far.

"They are not coming. They are not doing anything."

Newsday asked if she had seen mosquitoes in the drain, given Deyalsingh's recent remarks that mosquitoes breed in household containers like plant pots rather than drains.

"We do see a lot of mosquitoes but they are not inside the drain but above," Aliesha said.

The PDRC and Siparia Borough Corporation will hold a joint news conference on July 18 on dengue and flooding.

SUBHEADING: Another dengue death, 303 infected

ONE more person has died from dengue fever, bringing the country's total this year to three, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The ministry confirms there are 303 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever and three laboratory-confirmed deaths."

The statement said dengue was spread by the bite of an infected
Aedes aegypti mosquito, with symptoms appearing five to six days after being bitten and lasting one to two weeks.

The ministry said symptoms include fever, headaches, pain behind eyes, muscle and joint pains, skin rash, nausea/vomiting and diarrhoea.

The statement advised the public the best way to reduce the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases was by eliminating the mosquito breeding sites.

The public was urged to take five steps to do so:

1. Dispose of all unwanted articles, derelict vehicles or appliances in the yard or environs which can collect water and become mosquito breeding grounds.

2. Cover water containers such as tanks, barrels, drums or buckets with a mosquito-proof covering.

3. Cut down and remove all bushes or undergrowth that can harbour mosquitoes.

4. Clean drains and guttering to allow for the free flow of water.

5. Use mosquito nets and insect repellent, when appropriate as a means of personal protection.

This story was originally published with the title "Debe actor with dengue needs blood platelets" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

SHIVA GANGARAM – actor, dancer and director – of the Gangaram Family Drama Group in Debe is in urgent need of blood platelets, his sister Aliesha Gangaram told Newsday on July 17.

She said he has been warded for the past four days at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) ICU with a very low count of his blood platelets as he battles dengue fever.

Aliesha Gangaram made a public appeal in a Facebook post on July 16: "Looking for any doctor assistance to help with increasing the platelets or anywhere that we can have access to it. My brother is in ICU in the hospital and it dropped to 'four' and they don’t have any platelets to give him. Please pray for him. We need him to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. Any information please contact 762-6816.

"The papaya leaf is not working with him."

When Newsday spoke to Aliesha she said the hospital had just sourced one bag of platelets, which had slightly improved his count to five.

She said a normal count was 400, while patients can be discharged at 50.

Aliesha said the hospital had been calling around to try to get more platelets for Gangaram, but with very limited success.

"He is in a lot of pain and a lot of weakness. He needs more, maybe five packs, but there is nowhere he can get it, because they are calling all over, even Tobago. They said none is available. We don't know if there is a private institution where we can buy it."

She said since Gangaram had got ill last July 16, he seemed to be getting progressively worse each day.

Aliesha said the hospital was discouraging relatives from shopping around for platelets themselves, even though the SFGH seemed to be challenged in obtaining sufficient supplies.

"Every day we go it is the same problem. It is only today we got a bag.

"We are hoping for the best. We are looking around to see if we can source it anywhere and hopefully he gets better soon.

"He is the head of the Gangaram Family Drama Group. It's really bad to see him in this way instead of being well. He does a lot of stuff for the community.

"To see somebody good in this state is really bad."

Newsday sought advice from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh about the availability of platelets.

In a reply via WhatsApp, the minister said, "That comes from the Blood Bank. They will be supplied as there is no issue.

"The need for platelets is a clinical decision made by the attending physician."

Newsday asked if more people should donate blood, especially if there was now a heightened demand at the moment because of dengue.

Deyalsingh replied, "I have been encouraging people to become voluntary donors since 2022.

"People are free to donate at any time."

The website of the US Government's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) said an adult's normal platelet count is 150,000-400,000 platelets per microlitre of blood.

The website said the dengue virus may decrease the bone marrow's production of platelets and increase platelet destruction in the bloodstream.

While advising consultation with one's doctor, websites suggested natural ways to build platelets count by consuming foods such as coconut water, spinach, liver, eggs, lentils, pumpkin, mangoes and oranges.