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8 Psych patients re-captured; 11 remain hospitalised with burns and injuries
Kaieteur News – Chaos erupted on Saturday evening at the National Psychiatric Hospital located at Fort Canje, New Amsterdam Berbice, after some of the patients in the Chalet Four male admission ward, started a fire. This saw nine of them escaping while 11 were badly burnt and injured.
The door which the patients broke through and escaped.
Police have since confirmed that eight of the nine that escaped have been re-captured but eleven were admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital with burns and other injuries. Eight of the patients who remained at the institution were moved to the Acute Centre while three were taken to Chalet 1. Regional Health Officer, Dr. Vishalya Sharma noted, that at least four of those injured suffered 16%-20% burns. She added that the police have been assisting with additional security since yesterday.
“In addition to the security of staff, we are also closely monitoring the admitted patients,” Dr. Sharma added.
Based on the information provided to this publication, the fire began around 19:30 hrs. on Saturday in the Chalet Four Male admission ward located on the northern side in the Psychiatric Hospital. There are 31 patients housed in that section.
Matron at the institution, Lelawattie Saul, 42, of Lot 22 Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam, reported that at about 19:15 hrs. the Supervisor Rochelle Parris contacted her and informed her that three of the patients in the said ward were fighting. She told her that the patients were armed with pieces of wood.
Saul said, herself, the supervisor, and two male Nurses ventured to the Chalet Four Male admission ward but when they arrived, they saw smoke coming from the inside of the ward. They immediately contacted the fire service and the police were also called in.
It was while the fire was being extinguished that patients broke out from a southern door of the hospital and nine of the patients escaped in a south western direction. Eleven of them who received burns about their body were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital. No fatalities were recorded the police said in a statement, and the condition of the 11 patients remain stable.
Just recently, a patient was killed and another injured during a brawl in the said Chalet Four Male admission ward. Regional Chairman, David Armogan had stated that there would be increased security as part of the new measures to be put in place.
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