Five patients from the National Psychiatric Hospital located at Fort Canje, Region Six, remain on the run following a fire believed to have been started by a patient at around 9:15pm on Saturday.
Stabroek News has confirmed that the patient used matches to set a mattress on fire. The Guyana Police Force in a statement yesterday informed that the fire was in Chalet 4. According to the police, the nurse supervisor first noticed smoke coming from the chalet while she was in her office.
After noticing patients running of the chalet, the nurse quickly phoned the New Amsterdam Fire Station. Firefighters quickly arrived at the location and were able to put out the fire.
A subsequent head count revealed that only five out of the 19 patients housed there were initially accounted for. “However due to the quick response of the Joint Services and other law enforcement agencies seven patients were recaptured”, the Force’s statement added.
However, at approximately 10 am yesterday, the police reported that two other patients had been recaptured thus leaving five on the run.
A previous fire in June, had hospitalised eleven patients of the hospital, with four nursing burn injuries and one eventually succumbing to his injuries. Nine had escaped but were eventually recaptured.
Regional Health Officer, Dr Vishalya Sharma, had said that a section of the Chalet 4 Ward was destroyed as a result of that fire.
Meanwhile, last Thursday at the Regional Democratic Council of Region Six statutory meeting, Regional Chairman, David Armogan was questioned as to systems put in place following June’s fire. He responded that a decision was taken to place certain patients in single rooms instead of having them grouped together.
