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Shiva Gangaram, Debe actor, is hospitalised in SFGH ICU and seeking platelets to help combat the effects of dengue fever.
DEBE actor/playwright Shiva Gangaram is on the road to recovery from dengue fever with a notable improvement in his condition, although still on drips at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) intensive care unit (ICU). His sister Aliesha Gangaram gave Newsday an update on July 18. She hoped he might be discharged within days.
From a platelet count of “four” on July 16, moving up to “five” the next day, by July 18, it had reached “28”, Aliesha told Newsday.
She had said a normal count was “400”, while patients can be discharged at “50”. Presuming these figures tell how many thousands of platelets exist in one microlitre of a patient’s blood, they reflect the US Government’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) setting an adult’s normal platelet count at 150,000-400,000 platelets per microlitre.
On July 16, Aliesha launched a public appeal on Facebook for help to access platelets, saying the hospital had been trying to source them but with limited success until procuring just one bag on July 17. At just 22, Shiva has created and acted in a range of plays, from the humorous (such as The Reality of Life, on YouTube) to those celebrating Indian Arrival Day since graduating from the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, UWI St Augustine. He had got ill on July 9 and had got progressively worse, leading to his warding.
Platelets are bits of cells in human blood that clot to curb bleeding but the dengue virus may destroy them in the bloodstream and prevent their formation in the bone marrow, leaving the patient susceptible to internal bleeding. Giving an update on Shiva, she said the hospital would monitor his fever and any feeling of weakness.
“Once his platelets keep rising, they would discharge him. But not right away, but maybe just a few more days in the hospital.
“Right now, they told us he doesn’t need any more platelets. But if he does, they have a request ‘inside.’”
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh had told Newsday platelets were supplied by the Blood Bank.
Asked Shiva’s condition, she said, “He is still on drips – IV – all that stuff.”
Newsday asked if he was able to eat anything nutritious as another way to boost his platelets.
“We did that today and he has had a little bit.”
She said he had eaten a little bit of mango, carrot and banana, plus “green leafy vegetables.”
Aliesha said, “We are hoping all those work and he could get better soon.”
She related an improvement in his care on July 17, when the story of her appeal for platelets was published in Newsday online.
“We saw a change in the doctors and nurses. They came more often and they were helping him to get better.
“So that is a good sign. They are taking care of him now, a little more than before.”
Newsday asked about the supply of blood (from donors to the Blood Bank) from which platelets would be extracted to help dengue patients like Shiva.
“We have a lot of our supporters willing to donate, but they (hospital) haven’t said anything as yet about blood donors. Once they do, we have persons on standby to do it.”
Aliesha was very grateful for the support for Shiva from across TT.
“We got a lot of love from everyone after they read the article and on Facebook. So we just have to say thanks to Newsday and everyone who is trying their best to help.
“We really appreciate it. We do hope Shiva recovers really fast and comes out of there.
“We are hoping for the best and that he could build up his platelets and come out of there.”
