What reason could there be to deny a family to see their own medical records? Not rocket science is it? We are frequently seeing now this denial with regard to OIA requests. What are they hiding? See the other articles on this topic (use the search box or categories).
One of the Waikato family struck down with a serious mystery illness is battling with the district health board to see his own medical records.
Shibu Kochummen – along with Subi Babu and Alekutty Daniel – have been released from hospital, but doctors are in the dark as to what caused their month long unconscious episode.
Doctors are back in the dark about what caused their weeks-long paralysis, after testing ruled out botulism and boar meat as the cause, which was earlier suspected.
Family spokesman Joji Varghese said they are still suffering from full body aches and chronic fatigue, but are recovering at home with family from India.
Varghese said the health board hasn’t made it easy for Mr Kochummen to see his own files.
“Once we started to see this hesitation to give this out, it was so many hoops to jump through, we started wondering what is happening. Are people really hiding something, what’s happening here.”
For weeks, since this Putaruru family was first hospitalized after a meal of wild boar meat, mainstream media has told us the family had botulism.
“All three members of a Waikato family struck down with botulism after eating freshly slaughtered wild boar meat have regained consciousness”. Stuff.co.nz
A number of folk requested information on the issue under the OIA but were declined citing patient confidentiality.
TV Wild put in a request four weeks ago and this was also declined, even with patient consent.
Understandably given the widespread use of 1080 throughout NZ people wanted reassurance it wasn’t 1080 poisoning of beast or human via secondary poisoning even. We had a Neuroscientist also speaking out about the symptoms and how they did not match botulism.
Then, two nights ago the Graf Boys (maker of the documentary on 1080 called Poisoning Paradise) having obtained consent from the family, published an interview with friends of the family. The revelations were startling especially regarding the after effects of the poison. (We also published that video this morning, you can see it here.)
“Joji Varghese describes how up to four nurses were required to restrain the victims, because their involuntary convulsions were likely to harm the patients and the nurses. They had to be strapped to their beds.”
Now, the very next morning we have an article in the Herald telling us that the family’s test results have now been returned (coincidentally?) and the verdict is that no it was not botulism. Even more coincidentally, we learn they had also been tested for 1080 and the results were negative. So just two days ago, the family were also refused the results to all testing for another 20 days, yet the following day (after the release of the family interview) mainstream media has the test results?
“The family was also tested for 1080 poisoning and that was negative too”. Radio NZ
This is another flip flop as you will note in the this article they hadn’t tested for 1080 because the family would have to eat a bowlful to be poisoned to the extent they were it was claimed.
“He revealed the family had also been tested for mercury, arsenic and lead poisoning but not 1080 as doctors believed they would have needed to consume a cereal bowl full for it to have such a violent effect.” NZ Herald
And now we are being told that even the boar meat was not the cause:
It appears that the authorities have destroyed all of the meat that was in the family’s freezer (now why would you do that?). And the meal left on the table is still in pristine non decayed condition, unlike the rest of the food left there.
So, it is all looking murkier by the hour. Do you still trust the authorities? The media? Your government? (which is a corporation mind). The hospital management? And we have other growing anomalies in the 1080 mix.
Very sad for this family. It will be interesting to see what the reports say. A sign perhaps of caution in eating wild food … given our wild places are being, and have for a long time, seriously poisoned. EnvirowatchRangitikei
The family are being treated for suspected food poisoning at Waikato Hospital after consuming the meat, believed to be contaminated by an unknown substance or bacteria.Shibu Kochummen, wife Subi Babu and mother Alekutty Daniel were found unconscious by emergency staff at their Putaruru house on Friday.Mr Kochummen collapsed while calling emergency services for medical help.
Family friend Joji Varghese told Newshub poisoning may have occurred after the victims ate contaminated pig.
“Shibu and some of his friends… went hunting for some wild boar,” he said.
“They cooked and consumed it on Friday evening for dinner. Within half an hour they began throwing up. Shibu tried ringing the emergency services.
“Someone turned up at their door and found all three adults unconscious.”
Mr Varghese says the trio are now in a vegetative state, and doctors are determining the cause of the incident.
READ MORE (this article is no longer available msn tells us)
The family are being treated for suspected food poisoning at Waikato Hospital after consuming the meat, believed to be contaminated by an unknown substance or bacteria.
Shibu Kochummen, wife Subi Babu and mother Alekutty Daniel were found unconscious by emergency staff at their Putaruru house on Friday.
Mr Kochummen collapsed while calling emergency services for medical help.
Family friend Joji Varghese told Newshub poisoning may have occurred after the victims ate contaminated pig.
“Shibu and some of his friends… went hunting for some wild boar,” he said.
“They cooked and consumed it on Friday evening for dinner. Within half an hour they began throwing up. Shibu tried ringing the emergency services.
“Someone turned up at their door and found all three adults unconscious.”
Mr Varghese says the trio are now in a vegetative state, and doctors are determining the cause of the incident.
“They have been diagnosed with food poisoning after having consumed contaminated wild boar,” Mr Varghese said on Facebook.
“The nature of contamination is yet to be determined. Doctors are puzzled by the severity of the condition, as such a potent contaminant has not been reported in NZ since 1983.”
He says the effects of the contamination may lead to irreversible damage.
“We do not know what was in that boar. The tests – the toxicology reports – still have not come out,” he says.
“Currently all three are conscious but they’re not aware of their surroundings. They spasm often, so they’re moving involuntarily. There’s no response to proper stimulus. Doctors fear it will lead to some form of permanent disability.”
He’s calling for aid from New Zealanders to help the family, who have two children and face a difficult recovery.
“I have had detailed conversations with the doctors treating them and they fear the worst,” he wrote on Facebook. “They reckon it will take up to two months for the poison to be washed out of their body.
“Only then can they start to recover. Even if they recover consciousness, they may suffer permanent damage to their bodies, such as partial or total paralysis or tremors.
“There will be muscle wastage, which will require intensive physiotherapy. All of this could take up to six months or more.
“Their road to recovery is a long and rocky one.”
The Waikato DHB says Mr Kochummen and Ms Daniel are stable in a ward, while Ms Babu is in a serious condition in a high dependency unit.
“We are still investigating potential sources for the illness in this case, of which wild pork meat is one,” says Waikato DHB medical officer of health Dr Richard Vipond.
“We do not have any evidence to determine any broader contaminated game meat or that there is a risk to public health.”
A detailed toxicology report is expected on Friday.
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