Dr. Gonsalves escapes major injuries

10.APR.07

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has been placed on total bed rest following his discharge from hospital today Tuesday April 10.

Dr Gonsalves spent a night at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown following a motor vehicular accident yesterday at around 3:45 pm at Peruvian Vale on the Eastern coast of mainland St. Vincent.{{more}}

A statement from the Prime Minister’s office issued by his Press Secretary Hans King quotes Minister of Health Dr Douglas Slater as saying that a team of medical doctors, after re-evaluating Dr Gonsalves this morning, decided that he was well enough to be discharged. They however ordered that he be placed on bed rest.

Dr Gonsalves dodged serious injury in the accident which saw his official vehicle being written off after a collision between the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a truck which was being used to transport bananas.

The truck, on its way from Kingstown, crashed into the right side of the Prime Minister’s SUV.

Dr Gonsalves’ driver, Sergeant Zaccheus Parris suffered fractures to his neck and shoulder areas and was recovering well on Tuesday. He was also expected to be discharged from hospital today.

Dr Gonsalves sustained injuries to his mouth resulting in several stitches to his lips and dental work for some damaged teeth.

The other person in the vehicle was the Prime Minister’s chief security officer, who escaped unscathed.

Several government ministers and the Commissioner of Police were among the first persons to join the Prime Minister’s wife, Eloise Gonsalves and their children at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he was being cared for.

The government’s public relations machinery had to be put into high gear yesterday as rumours quickly spread of serious injury to the Prime Minister and even that he had sustained a heart attack.