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horrific fire at the Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory, Region Eight.

With these three girls, a total of nine girls were airlifted to Georgetown for medical attention.

Dr. Shilindra Rajkumar, a surgeon at the Georgetown Hospital, was one of the two doctors who went to Mahdia to provide support. He returned Monday afternoon with the last set of patients who needed critical care and updated reporters on the condition of those three patients.

According to him, one of the three girls was grappling with a preexisting condition and the amount of smoke she inhaled exacerbated her condition.

The second girl had serious facial burns and was wheezing. The third also experienced some difficulty breathing, owing to the amount of smoke she inhaled.

“There is also an element of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“These kids are in a state of shock right now. It has been a very challenging night and day for them and we were not comfortable leaving them alone,” Dr. Rajkumar said.

In addition to these three patients, six others came earlier in the day and were receiving critical care. One of the nine patients brought to Georgetown was a 12-year-old girl who needed a limb-saving surgery because of the extent of her injuries. That surgery went successfully but the girl remains under close observation as a burns patient.

Three other girls are receiving treatment in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU while another two are in the paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU). Of those hospitalised, three are aged 14; one is 12, and another is 13. The age of the last child is unknown.

Meanwhile, a mental health team comprising stakeholders from various government ministries and agencies has been mobilised to provide support to students, parents and other persons affected by the tragic fire.

Authorities have confirmed that 18 girls and one boy died in the fire. The girls were students while the boy, 5, was the son of the caretakers of the dormitory. Investigators also found that the fire was maliciously set by another student.

maliciously set.

Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken

The News Room was reliably informed that the fire was started by a student who was upset that her phone was taken away after school authorities objected to her engaging in matters dangerous to her wellbeing with an adult.

In the said update, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Dwayne Scotland said the point of origin of the fire was the south west end of the building.

The scene has been handed over to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as the investigation continues.

Hicken assured that the investigation will be concluded “swiftly” after which, he said a press release will follow.

19 persons perished in the fire which started at around 23:40hrs Sunday.

They are:

Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffery, 13 from Karisparu

Sabrina John, 16, from Karisparu

Loreen Evans, 14, from Karisparu

Belnisa Evans,13, from Karisparu

Twin sisters Mary and Martha Dandrade, 15, from Chenapau.

Omefia Edwin from Micobie

Natalie Bellarmine from Micobie

Andrea Roberts, 13 from Micobie

Lorita Williams from Micobie

Nickleen Robinson from Micobie

Sherena Daniels from Micobie

Eulanda Carter from Micobie

Lisa Roberts from Micobie

Cleoma Simon from Micobie

Tracil Thomas from Micobie

Sisters Delecia Edwards, 15 and Arianna Edwards, 13 from Micobie

A five-year-old boy, Adonijah Jerome, from Micobie also perished also in the fire. He was the son of one of the house parents.

A total of 29 girls were rushed to the Mahdia Hospital. Nine of the girls were airlifted to Georgetown for treatment; they are nursing serious burn injuries.

The News Room understands that firefighters experienced a number of challenges including severe weather conditions in the region before they managed to control the blaze.

An estimated 56 children were housed in the dormitory.

The school houses girls from Mahdia, Campbelltown, Micobie, El Paso and several other villages in the North Pakaraimas in Region 8.

devastating fire which ripped through the female dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary School was maliciously set by a student of the school, well-placed sources have told the News Room.

The student, the News Room was reliably told, was upset after her phone was taken away over objections by the school that she was engaging in matters dangerous to her well-being with an adult. She had pledged to give “trouble” over the actions taken against her.

The student was seen by other students spraying a substance in the air and then igniting a fire. The fire was set to some mattresses just outside the bathroom area of the dormitory.

https://zoom.us/j/9242359276.

UG’s Social Work Unit in the Faculty of Social Sciences is supporting the Ministry of Education’s Welfare Unit and has reached out to other stakeholders they are collaborating with for practicum to determine how we may support them. Members of the University Social Work Unit are set to accompany a Ministry of Education Welfare team. UG’s Social Work graduates in the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health are on standby to travel.

The Vice-Chancellor as Chair of UG’s Mental Health Task Force convened a meeting at 12 noon  today with UG’s College of Behavioural Sciences and Research (CoBRES), Institute of Resiliency, Inclusion  Unit and Social Work Departments on development of an emergency mental plan for quick deployment  which includes support to first responders.

Additionally, Dean of UG’s College of Behavioural Sciences and Research (CoBRES), Dr Katija Khan in her capacity as President of the Caribbean Alliance of National Psychological Associations, also pledge support and that of their Disaster Mental Health Committee in any way needed at this time.

UG’s College of Medical Sciences is also mobilising to lend additional medical support at the location so that there is no interrupted medical services including mental health nursing specialists are required as well as our Amerindian Studies Unit in the Faculty of Education and Humanities.

The University is also requesting the exercise of sensitivity and compassion in not sharing and circulation of photos, videos and images of this terrible event.

The University is requesting that any civil society, religious or other entities wishing to partner or in need of support to kindly reach out using email fixyg@uog.edu.gy or WhatsApp: 592-642-7273. The University’s response continues to develop.

Once again, the University extends its support and sympathy in this hour of unthinkable loss in communities which lost children and in our country.

Mahdia Secondary school female dormitory Sunday night is the main priority for the government, President Irfaan Ali said in a visit to the town, vowing that no effort will be spared during this “difficult” path.

“I want to assure all of you that no effort will be spared. Every conceivable help, every conceivable assistance, every conceivable action that is required of the Government, we will do, we will support and we will ensure that we are with you not only this day but through this difficult time,” President Irfaan Ali told residents on Monday during a visit to the community plunged into mourning.

“At this time, we are going to deal preliminary with the parents, family members,” he said.

“Let us give the family members the opportunity to talk to us,”

The President, who was accompanied by Prime Minister Brigadier (retd) Mark Phillips, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, held a private meeting with family members of the fire victims’.

President Ali outlined that a number of measures that will be put in place.

He said efforts are currently being made to have expertise from the Region to visit the town to support the identification of the children while counselling services will also be provided to the affected families and the community in general.

President Dr Irfaan Ali interacted with residents of Mahdia who were plunged into a state of shock following Sunday night fire which claimed the life of 19 students

And, arrangements are already being made to ensure the children who will be discharged will be “properly” accommodated with their parents, Ali said.

“This is beyond tragic. This is very, very difficult. We are going to ensure that every asset available to us is deployed with support,” the President noted.

Once this period is over, President Ali promised that detailed statement from all agencies will follow.

“The investigations are ongoing. There are some initial report that will be given in the detail statement,” he said.

“I am asking if we can give some opportunity before we have the full engagement of everyone. If you can allow us a full opportunity with the family members, the parents , after which we will give everyone an opportunity to say what they want to say and to raise whatever concern they want to raise,” the Head of State pleaded with members of the community.

19 persons perished in the fire which started at around 23:40hrs Sunday.

Those identified so far are: Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffery and her cousins Sabrina John, 16, Loreen Evans, 14. Those three, along with Belnisa Evans,13, were all from Karisparu Village.

The other girls identified are twin sisters Mary and Martha Dandrade, 15, along with sisters Delecia, 15, and Arianna Edwards, 13 and Andrea Roberts, 13 were from Micobie village. The others to be named as death are Omefia Edwards, Natalie Bellarmine, and Eulanda Carter.

A five-year-old boy, Adonijah Jerome, also perished also in the fire. He was the son of one of the house parents.

A total of 29 girls were rushed to the Mahdia Hospital. Six of the injured girls were airlifted to Georgetown for treatment; they are nursing serious burn injuries.

The News Room understands that firefighters experienced a number of challenges including severe weather conditions in the region before they managed to control the blaze.

An estimated 56 children were housed in the dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary school, in Region Eight.

The school houses girls from Mahdia, Campbelltown, Micobie, El Paso and several other villages in the North Pakaraimas in Region 8.

limb-saving surgery after she was injured in the devastating fire at the Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory on Sunday night underwent a successful surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Monday.

Based on information provided to the News Room, the girl needed surgery on her left leg because of the extent of her burns.

Earlier at a press briefing on Monday, the hospital’s Medical Officer in the Burn Unit, Dr. Vickita, Nandan said such a procedure is necessary for serious burns.

That surgery went successfully but the girl remains under close observation as a burns patient.

She was one of six girls airlifted to the city after suffering serious burns in the fire.

Three other girls are receiving treatment in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU while another two are in the paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU).

Of those hospitalised, three are aged 14; one is 12, and another is 13. The age of the last child is unknown.

Authorities have confirmed that 18 girls and one boy died in the fire. The girls were students while the boy,5, was the son of the caretakers of the dormitory.

Two senior doctors of the Georgetown hospital were flown into the mining town to assess the patients and determine who needs critical care and should be flown to the city.