Fire breaks out at Psychiatric Hospital in N/A

− 2 patients flee, 12 return

A fire of unknown origin broke out at the Psychiatric Hospital in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Saturday night during which several patients escaped.
Guyana Times understands that majority of the patients have since been returned while two remain at large.
Initial reports revealed that around 21:15h, the facility’s nurse supervisor, Waveney Felix, was in her office, when she observed smoke emanating from Chalet Four.
Felix further mentioned that she observed patients running out of Chalet Four and as a result, she immediately informed the New Amsterdam Fire Service.
Shortly after, the Fire Service extinguished the fire. Several persons were questioned but by that time, a majority of the patients had gone missing.
According to the Police, out of the 19 patients at the Psychiatric Hospital, only five were accounted for. However, due to the quick response of the Joint Services and other law enforcement agencies, seven patients were returned on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the Police said two of the other seven patients that fled were found and returned to the facility as of 10:00h on Sunday.
However, Region Six Commander, Jairam Ramlakhan subsequently confirmed to this publication that three more patients were returnedby midday on Sunday and taken back to the hospital.
Contacted Sunday evening, Commander Ramlakhan indicated that two patients were still on the run. Investigations are in progress.
Only in June, there was a fire at the Region Six facility during which patients had also escaped but were later returned. Some patients were injured in that June 5, 2021 fire which started sometime around 19:30h.
It was reported that a fight had broken out between three of the 31 male inmates housed in the Chalet 4 Male Admission Ward.
As a result, the matron along with the supervisor and two male nurses went to the Chalet 4 Male Admission Ward, where on arrival they saw smoke coming from inside of the ward and heard patients shouting for help.
The Fire Service and Police were called. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire but during that process, the patients broke out from a southern door and 9 of them escaped – some of whom had burn injuries about their bodies.
Eleven of the other patients who received burns about their bodies were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where they were treated.