Dara Singh, 41, a contracted linesman attached to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) company , who suffered an electric shock on May 15, 2018 outside Demico House (opposite the Stabroek Square), is pleading with the power company for proper compensation, since it was while executing the company’s duties he was injured.
According to the man, who is now a paraplegic after the incident, officials from the power company have indicated that they may not be obligated to compensate him for his injuries since he was working for a contractor.
The linesman, who was injured when he and his colleagues were replacing some old power poles, told this newspaper from his hospital bed that the company only signed an agreement to give his wife transportation costs to travel from their Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home to the hospital. In total, he said she received G$30,000.
“Week before the last they give my wife G$30,000 only; it’s almost four weeks, since I’m in the hospital and I’m not hearing from any of them. It seems like I become invisible, or is because I’m a contract worker, they treating me like this?” Singh questioned as he sat helplessly in a wheelchair.
The father of three related that he was the soul breadwinner for his family and was currently unable to send his children to school following the incident.
“I don’t know what will happen to me now; please I’m begging, the only person I hear from is the company nurse, nobody else. I have my children and they are suffering as a result of this.”
The man indicated that his manager (name withheld) did not even state whether the company would be assisting his family at this time.
His wife, Maureen Katow-Singh related that her husband was unable to walk and was slowly recovering. The woman said doctors told her that the linesman would have to undergo yet another surgery, since he received first-degree burns to the skull and almost 80 per cent of his body.
“Doctors say he might have another month or two in there; because of how bad he was burn, he have to do more surgery, and I don’t know where I am getting money from?” the worried woman related.
“Every day I have to travel and come to the hospital, since two persons come from the workplace when the accident happen, I ain’t see nobody come back to visit; all I know is they give me G$30,000, but that cannot compensate me and my children.”
Efforts to get a comment from GPL on the matter proved futile.
Singh, who had been working as a linesman for the past 12 years, was at the time of the incident holding wires which suddenly became live with electricity, throwing him a few feet backwards. He reportedly landed on his back with the wires across his stomach.
Singh’s colleagues were able to get the wires off his body, and he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The GPL team – about two dozen members – had started working some time about 10:00h on the day of the incident to replace the poles that were beginning to rot.
Power had been cut from the wires that were lying on the ground for some time prior to the incident. One crew member said they reportedly came into contact with a live wire, thus injuring Singh.
