COVID-19: Fmr. Chief Magistrate went to GPHC with severe respiratory distress

The management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has stated that former Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan, who died at the hospital while waiting on a wheelchair, was brought there in severe respiratory distress.

A statement from the hospital, issued on Monday evening, did not state what caused the man’s death.

Instead, it stated: “Based on the accounts received from staff members and bystanders, it is apparent that Mr.  Sullivan was (brought) to the hospital’s East Street triage area in severe respiratory distress.”

It was related that when he arrived at the triage facility, a security officer accompanied a relative of Sullivan went to the triage facility and alerted the medical staff.

Upon examination, however, it was found that Sullivan was unresponsive; he was later pronounced dead. The hospital said that it is continuing investigations to ascertain what led to the man’s death.

While speaking to the News Room earlier on Monday, a relative said that Sullivan was confirmed to be COVID-19 positive last week. On Monday, however, he started “feeling weak”.

Because of his COVID-19 infection, when he arrived at the hospital, he was told to go to the hospital’s East Street entrance where a COVID-19 triage facility has been established.

While there, however, Sullivan was too weak to walk into the facility. As such, relatives who accompanied him had to search for a porter who could transport him in a wheelchair.

The relative said that the family searched the compound twice but porters were not immediately found. Subsequently, Sullivan passed away while still in his vehicle.