8th October 2019

Snake bite victim ‘Joe Knows’ has sought medical attention at La Maynard Hospital in Martinique

By St Lucia Times

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St Lucia Times - Snake bite victim ‘Joe Knows’ has sought medical attention at La Maynard Hospital in Martinique.

The acclaimed Saint Lucia Tour Operator whose real name is Josiah Castang, reported being bitten by a fer de lance as he visited a waterfall in Anse La Raye last month.

Castang hit out at the Caribbean Doctors Association which had issued a statement asserting among other things, that his story ‘can only serve to misinform the public, thereby increasing the widespread negative perception of the fer de lance in particular.

Castang told St Lucia Times in a telephone interview from Martinique that he was disappointed in the association’s statement which sought to portray him as speaking untruth.

“Until you have walked in my shoes you will not know,” the Saint Lucia businessman declared.

He recalled that he was sent home after a second surgery at Victoria Hospital here during which his leg was sealed.

However Castang disclosed that the foot was infected and swelling.

“I was told to go to the polyclinic and have the wounds that were on the leg which had been sewn the Friday dressed for fifteen days and after fifteen days remove the stitches,” he recalled.

Castang said when he was sent home on the Saturday, he went to clinic the Monday where HTS Television conducted an interview with him.

He said that on Tuesday he recognized that the foot was swollen and discoloured, whereupon he told his wife to get their documents together to travel to Martinique.

“I could not put my foot down –  my foot was paining me. I could not walk; I could not touch the foot. I was in pain,” Castang lamented.

He explained that when his situation was communicated to the Doctors at Victoria Hospital, they requested to have a look at the limb.

Castang said when the Doctors examined the foot, it was determined that it was infected and had an abscess.

He told St Lucia Times that he was readmitted and went into a third surgery where his foot was cut and dead tissue was removed.

“They took it all out, leaving a deep hole in my foot,” Castang stated.

“From Tuesday to Sunday they had the foot open, cleaned – everything; I was getting my antibiotics and so on,” he recounted.

Castang said on the Sunday the Doctors explained that the foot looked ‘okay’ and there was nothing more that could be done surgically.

“They said to tell my wife to bring a green pawpaw, crush the pawpaw, take the juice and bring it for them. This is the truth – no lie; and they would take the juice in a gauze and put the gauze in the deep hole in my foot, wrap it up bandage it and I was discharged and sent home – that was the Sunday,” Castang told St Lucia Times.

He said days later he contacted a friend in Martinique who urged him to visit the neighbouring French overseas territory as a matter of urgency, which he did.

“We came to Martinique the Thursday to La Maynard Hospital to get an assessment and they gave me an appointment for the Monday, which was yesterday,” Castang stated.

“I want to say kudos to the Doctors in Saint Lucia – the Martinique Doctors spoke very highly of the job done on my leg and my foot by the Saint Lucian Doctors. They were very amazed at the job well done,” he told St Lucia Times.

Castang revealed that the La Maynard Doctor told him that the leg was healing properly and the foot with the big hole was healthy.

“His only concern was that the tendons were exposed and he did not feel it’s best that the wound remain open,” he stated.

He said the Doctor recommended a visit to a plastic surgeon.

According to Castang, the Doctor indicated that ‘a great job’ had been done in Saint Lucia and there was nothing more he could do to the leg and foot.

He said he has an appointment on Thursday to see the plastic surgeon.

The Saint Lucia businessman expressed the view that warning signs should be erected in areas in Saint Lucia where the fer de lance roams, along with safety tips.

He said he has noticed visitors frequenting the Ansse La Raye waterfall where he was bitten, oblivious to the danger.

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