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Medex fire…Health Ministry still awaiting final report
The Ministry of Health is still awaiting the final report pertaining to the fire which completely destroyed the Medex Building at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara on March 18, last.
Health Minister,
Bheri Ramsaran
The Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran made this disclosure last Saturday during a health fair at the Square of the Revolution.
“The fire service is still investigating the fire and I think it is still a crime site. I haven’t gotten the final report as yet,” the Minister stated.
According to Bheri, while the investigation is still ongoing, the 49 affected workers have already been relocated.
The Medex building once housed several administrative offices under different departments within the Ministry of Health, including the National Food Policy Unit, Veterinary Public Health, Division of Health Sciences Education and that of the Government Parliamentarian and Chairperson of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indra Chandarpal.
During the interview, Bheri noted that his Ministry has made a cost plan for the reconstruction of the Medex Building and has already submitted it to the Office of the President and the Ministry of Finance.
“It is a very costly affair and it will be difficult to get it in this budget because as you know, the budget is already being discussed,” the Minister posited.
Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, when contacted yesterday said that the investigation into the fire is still ongoing. The Fire Chief could not say how long the investigation would take.
A little after 03:00 hrs on March 18, last, the fire service received a call that a fire had started at the Medex Building and that three tenders responded to the fire. They were from Central Georgetown, Alberttown and Campbellville.
By the time fire fighters got there, the blaze had already spread throughout the middle flat. They were unable to save anything except the life of the sleeping security guard.
A resident, Donna Fraser, had told this publication that the fire appeared to have started in the upper flat of the old wooden structure shortly after 03:00hrs.
She noted that her household was awakened by a telephone call from a neighbour, who, around 03:30hrs informed her that the annex was on fire.
What remains of the Medex Building
“I was actually sleeping, so I didn’t know wha did going on outside, but then my next door neighbour called me to say that the Medex building on fire. So is when I rush out then I see fire blazing at the top of the building on the eastern side,” Fraser recalled.
“By the time I hurry and rush out, people from the back village did already gather in front and the fire tenders and so was already there,” the woman added.
Fraser and her husband commended the work of the fire service, noting that the firefighters did their best, in difficult circumstances, in trying to extinguish the flame.
“The tide did coming in during that time, so the breeze was very, very heavy, and in all honesty, the firemen did all they could ah done to save the building, but there was only so much that they could ah do at that time.”
Fraser had told this newspaper that one of the firemen tried desperately to break a window on the building so as to allow water to get to the heart of the fire, but was injured in the process and had to be taken for medical attention.
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