“Prisoner with AIDS” mistakenly pardoned
It was not a story we covered on Channel Five but it was an interesting piece of news nonetheless. Carlos Seguro, a prisoner who was three years into a five year sentence at Hattieville Prison, was pardoned by the Belize Advisory Council at the request of prison authorities. The reason was that he had AIDS and appeared to be near death. While incarcerated his body had deteriorated badly and Carlos was so emaciated that when he was released he could hardly walk through the prison gates. His arrival home in Burrell Boom was not a particularly happy one. What little family he had was not expecting him, the hospital didn’t want to care for him and was it not for the kindness of the village nurse and other neighbors, Carlos would probably not have lived over twenty four hours. But while Carlos Seguro may die at any time it will not be from the virus associated with AIDS. Contrary to what was said by prison authorities and the media, medical sources today confirmed to News Five that Carlos Seguro does not have AIDS and has never tested positive for the disease. How this happened is still a mystery but the medical and prison communities will certainly have some serious explaining to do. This afternoon I went to Burrell Boom to get the story first hand.
When we arrived at the Seguro’s residence in Burrell Boom, we found a nude Carlos Seguro lying face down in pain on a mattress in a tiny shack at the back of the family’s residence.
Carlos Seguro
“Please man, if I stay like this I am going to die. I feel it. I want to stay sitting up. I want to stay sitting up, please help me.”
But while it is obvious that Carlos needs to be in a hospital receiving immediate care, the Seguro family today is left upset and confused about what they say have been false reports given in the media by Superintendent of Prisons Bernard Adolphus. According to Seguro’s sister, Valerie it was just this morning, while she was walking to the center of the village, she was stopped by one Nurse Williams and George Carr from the S.T.D. Clinic at Matron Roberts Health Centre.
Valerie Seguro, Sister
“When I come back the nurse the talk to me all the way from when we left from out there ?til we reach all the way down here and she tell that my brother does not have AIDS, so I no know how come Mr. Adolphus do something like that and she say she no know where he get that information from.”
Sources close to the case tell News Five that Seguro who is anemic, malnourished and has diabetes, if he had AIDS, he would have been dead a long time considering the environment he was in at the Hattieville Prison. According to Quiros there are a number of ailments Nurse Willams told her that Seguro is suffering from and AIDS is not among them.
Anna Quiros, Nurse, Burrell Boom
“They think he is having complications from the diabetes, from the kidneys, and something with his stomach as he is throwing up everything. Well we see signs of symptoms of a diabetic patient. I am not sure of symptoms of an AIDS patient as this is the first time I am taking care of somebody with that complication. I have not been in touch with anybody before with that. But nurse Williams told me that person bowel movement. Apparently they just ruled out AIDS an that is why I told them that he needs to get back in the hospital and to do different test on him to see what is the problem. Because if he has a different problem that they can help him I mean anybody would need that help.”
As for Seguro, he is just as confused as to what may be terrible wrong with him.
Carlos Seguro
“I no know. They twist and turn too much. They don’t know what, I do not have to ask.”
According to the source we spoke with at the S.T.D. clinic, the problem is that too many people are ignorant towards AIDS, and if someone loses weight quickly and drastically like what has happened to Seguro, they are quick to assume that the person has AIDS.
Anna Quiros
“I no know how Mr. Aldolphus state that he is a full blown AIDS victim. I think that putting it on national television, not giving him a right of confidentiality. I think that was wrong, right. Because that is the first person you see that they have exposed like that in that sense. They shouldn’t have done that.”
According to the S.T.D. clinic, Seguro was tested negative for AIDS in late ’96 ’97. Quiros says it looks like even the Belize City Hospital did not thoroughly investigate Seguro?s condition and went ahead and treated him for AIDS.
Anna Quiros
“He was given treatment of antibiotic, anticloxoxitin. He has cellulite which is inflammation under the skin and he was being treated for the vomiting. They gave him amoxicillin and some Tylenol for pain. That was the only treatment he came home with, no medication for diabetes.”
Quiros says both nurse Williams and Carr are now looking to see how they can get Seguro back into the hospital where he should be.
Although at this point it is small consolation, legal authorities tell News Five that the pardon granted by the Belize Advisory Council is irreversible, so Carlos, if he survives, will remain a free man. As for prison authorities, the question remains: How could they just assume a man had AIDS even after he tested negative. And what about the hospital? Why was Carlos Seguro sent home to die like a dog instead being cared for with dignity. We’ll have more on this tragic story tomorrow.
