Astra Da Costa, the executive chairman of the advertising/ public relations agency All Media Projects Limited (Ample), died Thursday of broncho-pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis and a pulmonary abscess, according to a close friend yesterday who had seen the death certificate, which was signed by pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes.

But questions remain about whether, or the extent to which, the swine flu virus contributed to the passing of Da Costa, who was the Rotary District Governor for the region as well as chairman of Queen’s Hall. Sources close to the Da Costa family, speaking on the basis of strict anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said she admitted herself to the Westshore Hospital in Cocorite on September 27 after she returned from a Rotary trip to St Lucia. A biopsy, from which a sample was taken on October 3, was delivered to Carec (Caribbean Epidemiology Centre) in Federation Park on October 5. “The doctors informed the family Wednesday, October 14, that Carec had made a positive diagnosis of the presence of the H1N1 virus (swine flu),” said Alfred Aguiton, who co-founded Ample with Da Costa in 1974.

Aguiton declined to be drawn into discussion on the nine-day gap between Carec receiving the swine flu sample and the doctors informing the family that the test was positive. He also refused to speculate as to whether the delay meant that the results were communicated to Da Costa’s doctors earlier and not passed on to her family before Wednesday. He also declined to speculate if an earlier diagnosis of swine flu might have affected her treatment. Asked whether swine flu contributed to her passing, Aguiton said: “The doctors would be the best ones to indicate the role that the virus may have played in Astra’s decline.” She was transferred from privately-owned Westshore to the Post-of-Spain General Hospital shortly after 3pm on Thursday where she was placed on the isolation ward of the Intensive Care Unit. Questioned on why she was transferred to the state-run hospital if she was critically ill, an employee of Westshore Medical referred the Guardian to the Ministry of Health’s policy on the treatment of the swine flu virus. An official of the Ministry of Health denied that the current policy for the treatment of the H1N1 virus was that patients should be transferred to state-run general hospitals.

Speaking about Ample’s future, Aguiton said he will assume some responsibilities for the management of the company. “There will be some shifting in personnel and where necessary we will introduce appropriate resources,” said Aguiton. “We are fully committed to, and confident about, maintaining the same high standards which were in place during the period that Ms Da Costa spearheaded the organisation,” said Aguiton. Da Costa took over as Ample’s executive chairman in 2005, but ran the agency from 2001 during the time that Aguiton was on special assignment to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Ample was established in June 1974 after Aguiton and Da Costa were terminated from Radio Trinidad, then owned by the Redifussion group, who bowed to pressure from a trade union group that objected to Aguiton and Da Costa being hired from state-owned NBS Radio 610. Aguiton said: “There will be full consideration of, and involvement by, the family of Ms Da Costa and anyone appointed as her heirs and successors. “Family members have always contributed fulsomely, and will continue to keep the Da Costa name and presence at the forefront of our undertakings.”

Swine flu tips
You’re at higher risk if...
High risk categories include pregnant women and people with certain chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and asthma and other lung conditions, sickle cell anaemia, obesity, HIV/AIDS and any other condition affecting the immune system.

Seek immediate medical assistance if...
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Severe or persistent vomiting