Days before his passing, former prime minister Patrick Manning told his wife he knew he was dying. Hazel Manning said his tone was one of calm and acceptance when he told her so last Wednesday, his third day of being warded at the San Fernando General Hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Mrs Manning, who spoke with reporters outside her Sumadh Gardens home in Vistabella this morning, said it had been a difficult few days. She said Manning had a dental procedure done and it went very well but he got very weak afterward.
“I thought it was because of the medication and he couldn't eat for about a day or so,” she said.
“When it became a bit difficult for him to move around on Monday we called Dr Kantapersad Ramcharan who advised me to take him to the hospital.”
Manning was diagnosed with an infection in his right lung and his blood count was low.
He was in a jovial mood, laughing and chatting and making jokes on Tuesday and Wednesday, she said. On Thursday he was diagnosed and told he would need to undergo treatment for chemotherapy. There was still concern about his low blood count and the infection in his lung was getting worse.
Mrs Manning said: “On Wednesday night he asked what was happening and said, 'I know I am dying’.”
At 3 am on Saturday Manning’ss condition worsened and he was sedated.
“The hospital called me at about 6 am because his vital signs had started to deteriorate and he was breathing with the aid of a machine. My son David and I were with him when he passed,” she said.
Mrs Manning said Prime Minister Keith Rowley called her offering a state funeral which she accepted. The funeral is tentatively set for next Saturday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain. Viewing of the body will take place on Thursday and Friday at the South Academy of the Performing Arts (SAPA) and the North Academy of the Performing Arts (NAPA) respectively.