Infection, Toxins, Demon Possession? ... or Something Else Entirely?

The RAM aircraft was called into action early Tuesday morning in response to a strange series of medical circumstances in the South Rupununi.   A group of secondary school students, mostly girls, from outlying villages have been experiencing a series of unusual symptoms.

Spells of fainting, leg cramping, and body convulsions interrupted by periods of apparent normalcy were observed and the parents, villagers and local health workers were naturally alarmed.
A response from the Health Department was flown in to conduct a full clinical, social and environmental assessment of the situation.  The team, including acting Regional Health Officer Dr. M. Ally, worked diligently throughout the day to treat the clients, speak to the families and care givers, and help determine the source of the problem.

Blood samples were taken and flown back in the afternoon to help determine or rule out certain conditions. Many of the teenager's parents had to travel many miles by bicycle and foot to reach into Aishalton to help care for the in-patients who overwhelmed the small nursing staff at the hospital.

Nearly a dozen students have been affected.  The students are normally housed in gender-segregated dormitories with a one house mother and one house father responsible around the clock, seven days a week.

A retired Nurse who spent most of her career at Aishalton Hospital said she had never seen anything like it in all her years of service.  Similar cases have recently been observed at other villages in the deep south.  Members of clergy from various sects have visited the patients and held prayer sessions and other religious activities aimed at assisting the persons involved.

Pictured here is a section of the Rupununi Savanna after a fire created an unusual pattern at the beginning of the dry season on a recent medical flight.

The second image shows a recent Medevac flight at Achiwib airstrip which featured a teenage girl suffering from similar symptoms.  In that case an underlying social issue may have played a role.  The family reported that the girl had her hair cut by unknown assailants while the parents were away at their farm.

The patient had been reportedly loosing consciousness prior to the emergency flight.  Due to the lack of communication infrastructure for this scattered and remote population, RAM is often asked to respond with far less than the ideal amount and quality information.

Mental health has also been identified by the organization as an area where very few services, if any are currently available in this district. Discussions were held with the village touchau (chief) and parents regarding the situation and the underlying emotional stressors at the time.