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NOT IN THERE
AT A LOSS: 46-year-old Reynzill Scantlebury. (Picture by Donnay Deane)
Published on: 11/3/2009.
by MELISSA ROLLOCK
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Dr Dexter James has admitted that Reynzill Lorenzo Scantlebury, who last week claimed he was in morgue, was indeed a patient of the hospital.
James made the admission in a statement on the 5:30 p.m. Starcom Network news yesterday, after an earlier denial that Scantlebury was ever admitted to the QEH.
Scantlebury claimed he ended up in the hospital morgue after suffering an epileptic seizure, but was unclear as to when he was hospitalised and for what period.
In an interview in the last SATURDAY SUN, the 46-year-old car washer, of Whitehall, St Michael, alleged he woke up inside a "dark room" with a big refrigerator with drawers.
"I had just come out of one of the same drawers . . . ," he said.
In that article, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) communications specialist Katrinah Best said the hospital did not have a Reynzill Scantlebury on record, but did have a record of another man who had died, also a Scantlebury, whose first name was close to his and who had Lorenzo as a middle name.
In yesterday's 12:30 newscast on Starcom Network, James said: "Our records or admissions do not support a Reynzill Lorenzo Scantlebury being admitted to the hospital on, or around the time that was purported to be in the media."
However, yesterday evening, while the hospital CEO admitted that Scantlebury was indeed a patient, he maintained he was never pronounced dead nor ended up in the morgue.
"Our investigation substantiates that Mr Scantlebury has never been pronounced dead, or admitted to the hospital morgue over the eight-week period that has been indicated to us. However, we confirm that Mr Scantlebury was taken to the Accident & Emergency Department (A&E) at 4:57 p.m. on September 20, and was discharged at 4:30 the following day. Furthermore, our records indicate that there has been no death certificate issued for this person," he said.
He called Scantlebury's account of what occurred misinformation fed to the media.
"We are very open on providing information on what we do here at the hospital and all we are asking for is that information be thoroughly investigated, it be factual and the information provided to the public be done in a responsible manner," he said.
Meanwhile, a number of Barbadians have been commenting on Scantlebury's story, including one woman who operates a canteen which he frequents.
"He collapsed on the Sunday. The Task Force and the ambulance were there with him. The Monday when I came into work, they told me 'Bucket' had died. We call him 'Bucket'; he's always with a bucket because he does car washing.
"The Tuesday morning, he turned up. I said: 'Wait, but I hear you dead.' He said: 'I just walked out of the morgue last night.' And he had the tape with his name on it on his arm, on his wrist - the hospital tag they put on you when they admit you to a ward. I saw it on his hand," she said in a report from Starcom Network news.
Another woman, who contacted the DAILY NATION yesterday after hearing James' initial denial, said that Scantlebury was admitted to hospital. She said she saw him in the A&E on October 23 and 24, when she took her grandson for medical help.
"He was in either room 11 or room 12 in A&E. I was two doors from him with the little boy. I know him because I live up there in Eden Lodge, St Michael [near Whitehall]. It ain't no lie; he was in the hospital but I don't know if he was in the morgue," she said.
Another woman, Clarissa Thompson, told the DAILY NATION she overheard Scantlebury relating his story to a cashier in the Mia Mart supermarket in Green Hill, St Michael, last month.
"That was the first time I heard it. I was at the register and when he came through the door, and the cashier said: 'Wait, but all of we out here thought you did dead.'
"He turned and said: 'Well, I thought I was dead too.' So we laughed."
Eastlyn Scantlebury, mother of the "dead man", who lives in Rock Gap, Spooner's Hill, St Michael, told the DAILY NATION, yesterday:
"I don't think my son would make up something like that. I was surprised he even talked about it. I hear the hospital denying it, but you can't fight the Government anyway.
"And you're a poor person? You're going to fight against them?"
33 comment found!
Camera : 11/7/2009
Where is the video from the security camera that was supposed to monitor what goes on in the morgue. Pray tell me. Also, how did he get to the hospital.
The Living Dead : 11/6/2009
Where is the hospital technician in all of this? He is the only one that can bring an end to all this speculation. Right now we have bodies backing up in the morgue at QEH, stop the non-sense and get on with the hospital business.
: 11/5/2009
Whether this man is telling the truth or not the hopital should do a full investigation has anyone heard of 'Narcolespy maybe this man is a suffer check out this website and read about it this may answer a few questions http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/dead-three-times-waking-up-on-the-morgue-slab-twice/
GET IT RIGHT : 11/5/2009
The is madness! I don't think the stories are true, but QEH need to tell the public "plain and Straight" what happened to this man to win back the confidence of the public in their system. Bajans need to STOP BLAMING THE GOVENMENT FOR THIS ISSUE. I don't believe he was in the morgue for the time he said he was because he would have been really dead. So that story isn't true. If the issue had to go to court, HIS STORY WILL NOT STAND UP. They are two many loop holes. I'm not saying that the QEH does everything right, but it does have Policies and Procedured to make sure it's patients are dealt with. STOP BLAMING THE GOVERNMENT and to QEH and LORENZO, "TELL THE TRUTH, GET THE STORIES STRAIGHT". And to the Nation Newspaper, A story is a good story when it is true. Get your facts straight before you start Scaring bajans with stories like this one and putting negative picture in their mind about the QEH.
Let's think about it! : 11/5/2009
OOOOk! So we have a case of an individual who was placed in a morgue, kicked the drawers open and left? I mean, we must realize that the morgue is set at a certain freezing temperature to keep the dead from decomposing. Now it only takes a few minutes for the body to go into hypothermia as one reader mentioned, which can result in shock, organ failure and eventually brain death. So if this guy was really in the morgue in just a diaper as he claims, i doubt he would be alive today to tell his story. Unless, QEH morgue is operating at room temperature. Also, I am sure if he was pronounced dead some form of paperwork would have to be done, and i mean wouldnt his family be informed about his death??? There's a lot more loop holes that are missing from this story but these are jus a few things you need to look at before blaming your institution! Jus my $0.02
In The Drawer : 11/4/2009
My only wonder so far, and no one is addressing it, is how did this man who was wrapped up, place in a drawer able to sit up, and get himself out of the drawer. I have no idea how the hospital put away the bodies; tell me some body, how did this man got out of the drawer? No Duppie!
Walking dead what ! : 11/4/2009
WILL THE TRUTH STAND UP! To the Poster on 11/03/09 Born Bajan ,I could describe the parts of the inside of a human and i have never cut open one or seen it in real life . I have never been in the morgue but i know that you have toe tags ,it has fridges with drawers for the deceased . Duhhhhh! This STORY is missing some episodes from his arrival to departure and all the supporting cast . Mistakes happen yes ! I have heard of pesons dead and only to see them in town walking . Remember or heard of the woman that the paper had condolenes for this woman who was "dead " some time back .She came to the media to prove she was alive . Who know's the truth God alone .
Ghost who walks : 11/3/2009
First Michael Jackson - the Man in the Mirror died.. now Lorenzo- the Man in the Morgue- died and came back. regardless of what happens, Barbados going to remember this one for generations.
: 11/3/2009
For me the jury is still out on this one. There are lots of unanswered questions. Have we heard from the Morgue Technician - who was sitting there eating! Did anyone see Mr scantlebury walking the street in his Diaper. What about the woman in Hindsbury Road who gave him something to eat. More importantly would the QEH despatch a body to the Morgue without any records recording such. Would a Doctor not have to complete some paperwork before this can be done. . If this incident happened in September why did it take so long for Mr Scantlebury to report it. I am somewhat surprised that the CEO at the QEH did not check his facts before he made his statement on whether or not the individual was a patient at the hospital. Having to make a correction to his earlier statement ,that was so unprofessional.
"DEAD" MEN TELL NO TALES : 11/3/2009
For all those who say sue the hospital, let me ask this question: what would be Mr. Scantlebury's damages? It appears at best, according to his story, that when he awoke and found himself in a drawer in the morgue, he immediately kicked open the door and shortly thereafter got up and left the hospital. These "witness" accounts apparently indicate that Mr. Scantlebury wasn't experiencing any traumatic episodes as a result of his experience in the morgue. Indeed, one person indicated that it was a laughing matter when telling the circumstances of the incident. Given the vacillation of the hospital administration, perhaps it would be in Mr. Scantlebury's best interest to let certain mouths play "dead" for the moment.
Stop the cover up : 11/3/2009
We need to find the morgue technician..Where is he...
Not in there : 11/3/2009
It appears that the hospital administration is lying, because they don't want to be sued. I believe the gentleman is telling the truth about waking up in the morgue. I am actually surprised that the morgue technician didn't end up on a slab himself in the morge, because I know if I was working there and I saw someone who is supposed to be dead get up and ask me for a blanket, I would be dead myself!
Not In There : 11/3/2009
I believe the guy is telling the truth but he seems to be very simple so maybe that is the reason why the authorities are sticking out. He needs legal representation.
Dead Man Talking : 11/3/2009
Is this another cover-up by our hospital administration?
Lost credability : 11/3/2009
At 430 this man never was at the QEH, at 550 he was, but not in the morgue. Nothing this foreigner say I will never believe. It is time to put a barbadian in charge.
Dead Man Walking : 11/3/2009
Honestly, there is no way this man made up this story. Some people are covering up the true details of what happened here. Someone had to wrap his body, tagged him and transport him to the morgue. WHO are the culprits? This reqquire an immediate investigation of the QEH quality committee. I find it rather interesting that there "all of a sudden" is evidence of someone with a "similar" name who was a patient at the hospital. Where in hell is the doctor who pronounced this man dead. Fire him/her and everyone that was entrusted with caring for Mr. Scantelbury..what an outlandish mockery of rendering care.
NOT IN THERE : 11/3/2009
Bucket, I guess it was not your time to kick out. What is missing from this story is the complaint of being cold and shivering. I do not know the temperature in the morgue, but i do know if you are walking around in the cold without proper attire you will begin to shiver. Never mind laying around in a Morgue over a period of time. Which can cause hypothermia. Why was this not reported on the same day? did he just wake up and leave? how long was he laying there, this story does not add up.
I believe Mr. Scantlebury : 11/3/2009
I do not believe this is a hoax. I for one believe that this incident is 100% true and the hospital is now trying to scramble and cover it's bases. The CEO of the hospital first came on VOB radio and said that he was refuting Scantlebury's story and now he has come again in the press saying that while the man was indeed at the hospital, he was no where near the morgue. Do not try to make it look like this man is some ne'er do well trying to cause trouble. He is a Barbadian who through no fault of his own ended up in a situation not of his making. Do not write him off. please bajans learn to support and back our own people regardless of where they come from I suspect that the morgue technician is the key to all this.....
Smoke Fire : 11/3/2009
There is no smoke without fire, but I think there're lots of unanswered questions
Might be there : 11/3/2009
Eastlyn Scantlebury get a lawyer and let him conduct a complete investigation on your son's mis- adventure.Don't forget to let him question the lady at Mia Mart,It deserves a full investigation.
A GT GIRL : 11/3/2009
SAD TO HEAR HE IS A WALKINFG DEAD
Lies easy to believe : 11/3/2009
If this lady told the subject she taught he had died with his reply coming that he just walked out of the morgue, it could just be the answer by him, after someone would say he was dead without facts/proof. This is how rumours spread having a tag does not signify that the only reason for it was because a person had died. A tag will help to identify him if he did not wake up.
Dont believe it : 11/3/2009
So why did he wait so long to put the paper in the story,,where did the mother come from all of a sudden didnt she miss her son for a few days??Ok so he was in hospital but his story makes no sense he got up out the morgue and just went out side...why was he in pampers?Get the correct story and come again...
: 11/3/2009
Will you people stop showing this picture. His 3 mins of fame is up.
Independant Inquiry : 11/3/2009
Much is said by the "victim" as well as the hospital CEO without proper substantiation of facts. In order to allay the fears of the public, a truth commission can be set up to investigate and share their findings with the public. The last thing the public wants to know is that living and breathing folks can end up in a hospital morgue in Barbados.
Dead man walks : 11/3/2009
Buddy, one thing you must learn in life, just like your mother said, you can't fight the system. They would never admit to something like that happening, because then all of them in administration would have to be fired. And that is something that will never happen in the Caribbean, far less Barbados
dead man : 11/3/2009
the hospital doctor said there's no death cirtificate for this car washer, obviously so because if the guy had remained in the morgue, he would be taken for the autopsy which would then require the death cirtificate. That dont mean that he was not in the morgue, the death cirtificate comes after the autopsy, but the hospital dont want to admit to wrong and mistakes. They just sent the guy in the morgue with carefully checking his condition, and thats true, if you are poor and distitute, bad things become a big joke, its not a joke, this is serious business.
Dead Man Walks : 11/3/2009
I read the story and Mr. Scantlebury could not have describe the morgue, and waking up with a tag on his toe without being there these are things the public does not know and I beleive him, and I think there should be a public inquiry. Born Bajan.
Dead Man Walks : 11/3/2009
Mr. Dexter James is a new CEO of QEH and you would think that because he is new he would be more thorough in this investigation, yet he denies it without being sure no checking on his part and at this stage he knows he has no friends so he too is not sure what goes on at the hospital, and here we go again with incompetence stories coming out of QEH. Was He not hired as saviour for this institution WHAT GIVES. Born Bajan.
Dead man walking : 11/3/2009
How dare this trinidadian come down here and speak to our media in that manner...only in Barbados and this guy's mother is absolutely correct....the small will get squeezed in Barbados...remember I'Akobi Maloney..?
NOT IN THERE : 11/3/2009
Something is not adding up. How comes the hospital only realize he was a patient after outsiders came forward to say that he was. Someone is hiding something. But like the grandmother said, a poor person can't fight against the big boyss
: 11/3/2009
Something is not adding up. How comes the hospital only realize he was a patient after outsiders came forward to say that he was. Someone is hiding something. But like the grandmother said, a poor person can't fight against the big boyss
Who tellling Lies : 11/3/2009
I think that if someone woke up in the morgue, rather a car washer or the Prime Minister of Barbados, that you would know that something is different with this lying arrangement. I mean if he was in a hospital bed he would have known right? Why would he make up a story like this if it was not true. Something sounds quite wrong with this investigation and the mother's assertion hits the hammer solid on the nail head. This is where cameras would have come in quite handy because a picture paints a thousand words but we continue not to see the importance of installing surveillance cameras in Barbados.
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