A six-year-old boy lost his life at a private school on Tuesday, after reportedly choking on a thumbtack.
Dead is Mekhi Rodrigues.
The incident occurred as Mekhi reportedly approached his teacher, struggling to breathe and holding a water bottle. He subsequently collapsed and was then rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where doctors worked to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
An autopsy conducted by state pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh later confirmed suffocation as the cause of death, stemming from a blockage in the child’s airway by a thumbtack.
In response to the family’s account, which alleged that the teacher was negligent, the school released a video which shows the teacher assisting the child when he approached her with his water bottle, displaying signs of distress. The school contended that the teacher immediately alerted other staff and coordinated emergency assistance before the boy was taken to the hospital.
The Education Ministry has since acknowledged the incident, with its Welfare Department investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
