Fire strikes St Joseph Mercy

- 32 patients, 4 newborn evacuated

(By Jenelle Carter and Mondale Smith)

An early morning fire yesterday destroyed the oldest wing of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Kingston, Georgetown, erasing about 80 years of history.

While the destruction of the original hospital building is significant all patients were safely evacuated as well as all medical staffers.
As at yesterday the hospital governing board, doctors, administration, staff and Sisters of Mercy were taken up with addressing the most immediate needs of patients, their families and employees.

About 32 patients, including four new born babies, had to be rushed to safety early yesterday morning after fire broke out at the hospital. When the blaze was extinguished the institution’s oldest and most historic building that housed several doctors’ offices, the emergency room as well as the Triage area and the outpatient department was reduced to charcoal.
While the situation proved traumatic for the patients and medical staff, from all reports there were no major injuries nor lost of lives. One maintenance worker from the Hospital’s work shop amidst assisting the police to remove several nitrogen and oxygen tanks said, “I come to work at about 6:45.
Then as  I was about to settle in I hear a loud boom and then a nurse started shouting ‘fire, fire’ and it was ’scatteration’. But all the patients  get saved.”
As at last evening, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle reported that the cause of the fire was not yet determined but as part of investigations, eleven staffers were being questioned and that all possible theories are being examined.
Recounting events, the Fire Chief said that a distress call was received at 6:59 hours. Ranks and two fire tenders were immediately deployed to the Parade Street location to fight the blaze, he said.
By the time the fire tenders arrived the entire top flat of the building was engulfed in flames and there were several explosions.
The fire was contained to the one building through the best efforts of the Guyana Fire Service that included additional fire tenders. This was not enough to save the building.
As the firemen battled the intense blaze ranks from the nearby Eve Leary Police Headquarters as well as trainees from the Felix Austin Training School rushed to the assistance of patients and the on duty nurses.
Initially the patients hospitalized in the various wards as well as four new born and their mothers were evacuated to the nearby Police Sports Club compound and emotions ran high.
But the nurses and other medical staffers ensured that the patients were tended to and comforted.
Eventually some of the patients, including those in wheelchairs, and others on beds were transported to the Guyana Red Cross Headquarters building and given the necessary care.

Once in the building more support was given to the team of medical staff. The more critical patients were transferred to the Woodlands and other nearby hospitals.
The Civil Defence Commission also did its part by making available several stretchers and cots to the patients which were used to transport the patients to other nearby hospitals.
Marjorie Park, Assistant Administrator of St Joseph Mercy Hospital was in high praise that all patients were evacuated and accounted for. She also confirmed that the more critical patients have gone to Woodlands.
She however lamented the fact that while they have not lost any lives they have lost 65 years of history.
“This year we are going to celebrate our anniversary, nothing can replace the records that we have lost but we are thankful to our friends, neighbours and even the police who give us tremendous support.”
Park added that hundreds of records and important documents belonging to doctors have been totally destroyed.
Dr. Rohan Jabour said that it was only last week that he was thinking of taking his certificates down to make copies but now they are all gone. He too said he was at home preparing for work when he got news of the fire.
Yesterday morning at the scene patients were being wheeled into the police compound while Ministers Robesen Benn, Clement Rohee and Dr Leslie Ramsammy  were  at the scene offering direction and working out logistics as fire and police ranks were seen  running in every direction.
Minister Ramsammy pledged Governments’ support to the institution in whatever way possible.
Later in the day President Bharrat Jagdeo visited the burnt out site. “We are open to any ideas to assist. The insurance company has to make its assessment but we are prepared to offer assistance be it short term or long term,” he said.
Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said that instruction has been passed to ensure that any necessary assistance needed will be given and he noted too that pharmaceutical supplies can be made readily available to the hospital.
Commenting on the impact on the St Joseph Nursing School, Dr Ramsammy said that the nursing staff does not want the students to lag behind hence arrangements will be made with the Georgetown School of Nursing to see how the students can be facilitated.
Meanwhile the Chief Executive Officer, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Helen Bowman has since issued an advisory informing the public that effective from today the hospital’s outpatient services will be available from 09:00 hours at the Red Cross Building at Eve Leary, Kingston.