PM's son in Barbados Hospital

BARBADOS: Son of Vincentian prime minister hospitalisedBRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves on Thursday reported that his teenaged son was “resting comfortably” and “out of immediate medical danger” after he had to be rushed to Barbados for treatment following a serious vehicular accident.

Storm Gonsalves, 17, sustained several injuries about his body and suffered internal bleeding after his motor bike collided with a passenger van in the Sion Hill area, just outside the capital, shortly before 5 PM Wednesday.

The development forced Prime Minister Gonsalves to reschedule his New Year’s message to the nation at 8PM Wednesday evening in order that he could be with his son.Gonsalves, whose wife Eloise is also in Barbados, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that doctors had taken a decision to remove his son’s spleen but “there were no other damaged organs internally.

“Everything was ok in the head. His left hand is broken in six different places and his right wrist is broken. Of course, he was beaten up all over his body,” Gonsalves reported.

The Prime Minister was full of praise for the medical response teams in St. Vincent and Barbados. He said he was also grateful for the support rendered by his Barbados counterpart David Thompson and his Health Minister Donville Inniss.

Gonsalves also told CMC that he had received information that the ailing former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who had met his son when he was nine years of age and had taken a liking to him, had enquired about Storm’s health.

The young sixth former and businessman, who is the youngest son of Prime Minister Gonsalves, is currently studying Maths, History, Economics and Communications.He is expected to remain hospitalised for the next two weeks in Barbados.Gonsalves has four other children.