Second manganese miner dies, more hospitalised at Matthew’s Ridge

…. ailing workers sent home 

Another miner who was hospitalised and medevaced to to city from the North West District last weekend, has passed away.

Reports are that the Chinese national died this morning while being treated for leptospirosis. One of the man’s colleagues died last weekend at Matthew’s Ridge while undergoing treatment.

Reports from Matthew’s Ridge are that  another group of miners have been admitted to the Pekera Hospital there earlier this morning. The group includes two Chinese nationals and a Guyanese.

In addition, persons close to the company , Guyana Manganese Inc, told this publication that four Guyanese miners were sent home by the manganese company after they complained of experiencing similar symptoms as their colleagues.

Two weeks ago, while cleaning bat droppings from one of four tunnels at the mining site called “Rail Ends”, nine workers – eight Chinese nationals and one Guyanese, started experiencing pain, fever, headache and respiratory distress.

On Saturday, one of the Chinese nationals died while receiving medical attention at the Pekera District Hospital , while seven of the ailing men were air-dashed to the city for enhanced medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). To date, approximately 18 persons from the mines have been medevaced to the city – the latest group of five was medevaced on Tuesday morning.

Minister Lawrence told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that cognisant of its responsibility to provide healthcare services to the people of Matthews Ridge and neighbouring communities in a safe environment, the Health Ministry took a decision to fully sanitise the Pekera District Hospital. It was closed temporarily but was reopened on Tuesday.

Another team of medical personnel, however, will be working out of a community centre in the area to screen the employees of Guyana Manganese Inc., – a subsidiary of Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated as a precautionary measure, the Health Minister further detailed.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that there are approximately 100 Chinese nationals and 113 Guyanese nationals on the mining concession. Persons displaying similar symptoms to those hospitalised will be transferred to GPHC as a precautionary measure, and treated.