Second autopsy for Yasher rescheduled, funeral set for Saturday

An Independent Committee has begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of six-year-old Yasher Francois, as relatives confirmed the second autopsy has been rescheduled for Sunday.

The procedure, which was expected to be done on Saturday at Guides Funeral Home in San Fernando, was postponed because the facility had been fully booked.

Yasher’s father, Aaron Francois, said Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe had spoken to him at length, promising a full, urgent and fair investigation, as well as other support. He noted the Committee set up by Dr Bodoe did not include personnel from the San Fernando Teaching Hospital or the Southwest Regional Health Authority.

Francois said relatives from abroad will arrive this week ahead of Yasher’s funeral on August 16.
“I know they have a country to run and they are busy, yet the Minister made the time to call me, and for that I am grateful because after speaking to him, I felt better,” he said.

He also expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to order a fully independent investigation into the incident, saying internal reviews alone were not enough to uncover the full truth.

The family has rejected the findings of an autopsy done at the San Fernando mortuary, which listed the cause of death as aspiration pneumonitis likely triggered by viral pneumonia.

Aspiration pneumonitis is a serious lung condition caused by the inhalation of foreign substances such as vomit or saliva, particularly in patients whose respiratory defences are weakened by infection. It can lead to inflammation, pneumonia and, in severe cases, death.

The family has been advised to consider legal action on the grounds that magnesium sulphate was administered despite Yasher having an adverse reaction. The compound is used to treat conditions such as eclampsia, severe asthma attacks and some seizures, but is not a standard treatment for pneumonia.

The family said Yasher had been admitted for a dry cough and was never in critical condition until the drug was given intravenously.