By Gemma Handy
The distraught sister of a government quarry worker severely burnt in an explosion last week has hit out at the authorities for what she claims is a dire lack of urgency in addressing his needs.
Gregson Joseph suffered agonising third degree burns to his arms and second degree burns to his legs in the June 26 incident at Burma Quarry. His face was also badly burnt.
The 44-year-old Ministry of Works employee remains on the surgical ward at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre more than a week and a half later.
His sister Grace Joseph, who spoke to Observer from New Jersey yesterday afternoon, says her brother is in desperate need of specialist overseas treatment.
Details of precisely what triggered the blast remain sketchy, but she said it appears to have occurred when Joseph was asked by his boss to assist with lighting a fire.
Unbeknown to them both, a box containing explosive materials was close by.
“My brother is just a truck driver so he has never been in service lighting fires or been trained to do so.
“Anyway, he said the supervisor sent him so he went with his lighter, ignited the lighter, and at the same time that the lighter ignited, whatever it is blew up, exploded.
“He was on fire. He was running.
They had to get water to pour all over him and have him take off his pants and clothing and then they rushed him to the hospital,” Grace said.
Last week, Cabinet notes confirmed that the government would help pay for Joseph’s medical expenses.
Yesterday, the government sent out a press release saying Joseph’s recovery had been “very positive” and that it was committed to ensuring he receives the necessary treatment.
It added that the Ministry of Works had been in contact with Joseph’s family who live outside Antigua and that they were satisfied with the information received on his care so far.
The release triggered an angry response from Joseph’s sister who claimed it contained “false statements”.
Grace, a medical professional in the radiology field, said she has been battling for her brother to get an emergency US visa and be airlifted to a hospital in the US.
“To date, there has been no movement by government officials to address the family’s requests.
“After a week of going back and forth getting nowhere, I see this press release stating that there were conversations with my mother who is 80-something years old, my sister who lives in Belize who has no medical knowledge, and a relative in the United States.
“I am the only one in the United States and I haven’t spoken to anybody,” Grace said.
“When I got the press release I was shocked because I know I’ve been working feverishly from up here trying to get my brother to at least get some sort of rehab up here.”
She said the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre – which has no burns unit – does not have the resources to treat his injuries.
“I’m very disgusted by the lack of urgency that has been taken with my brother or any other person that may go through this.
“Something like this, third degree burns especially, must be attended to by a specific burns unit.
“If you don’t have the ability to treat, don’t say that you have the ability to treat, because you never know in the long run the damage the skin has and how that skin is going to come back, if at all,” she added.