Latest update February 27th, 2025 6:23 AM
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Housing, small business support for families of Mahdia fire victims—Pres. Ali
– one students remain in critical condition at GPHC
President Irfaan Ali on Sunday meeting with students and families affected by the Mahdia form fire at his residence. (Photo courtesy, President Irfaan Ali’s Facebook page)
Kaieteur News – Following the devastating fire on May 21 at Mahdia, which claimed the lives of 19 children, President Irfaan Ali has pledged to support the families affected in every way needed.
Honouring his commitment, the President on Sunday hosted a dinner at his residence, State House for the families of those who perished and students who were in the dorm during the tragedy. During the engagement the President spoke individually to those in attendance and listened to their concerns and asked them about ways that the Government could enhance their lives.
In a brief statement on his Facebook page, the President shared that among the support discussed were housing, small business ownership, and educational support in the communities where the children resided.
Many of the students, who escaped the fire, also spoke on Sunday about wanting to return to school. Some are hoping to do so within their communities and close to their families. The President said that in the interim, teachers will travel to the communities where the students live to teach them until efforts are made to construct special facilities in those communities. He also announced at the engagement that counselling specialists from overseas will be brought to Guyana to work with the local counsellors. As reported, counselling is currently ongoing for all the families, students and communities affected by the tragic incident.
On Sunday, the Head of State mentioned too that students in need of specialised surgeries will be sent to Cuba. “What we are going to do is to give you support,” he told the students and families at his residence. Also at the dinner, the President took time to express his gratitude to the persons who has allocated their time and energy to support the victims of the Mahdia Secondary School dorm fire.
Meanwhile, while the 15-year-old girl who is accused of setting the dorm on fire was charged and remanded to prison yesterday, Kaieteur News understands that one of the students from the deadly fire is still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Intensive Care Unit.
The hospital related to this publication yesterday that her condition is listed as stable and guarded. Among her, there are two other girls who remain patients at the hospital. They are presently admitted in the High-Dependency Unit (HDU) receiving treatment.
Kaieteur News was told that the other girls were discharged from the hospital over the holiday weekend. It was reported that one of the student who were badly burnt was medevaced to a hospital in New York for further treatment. According to the Ministry of Health, the girl underwent two surgeries at GPHC and though her condition improved steadily it was deemed necessary that she be transferred overseas.
Kaieteur News had reported that following the fire, a friend of one the victim had consumed a poisonous substance. He was transferred from the Mahdia Hospital last week and has been a patient at the GPHC receiving treatment. Yesterday, it was related to this publication that his condition is stable and guarded. The fire at the Mahdia female dormitory fire took place last Sunday and claimed the lives of 19 children- 18 girls and a 5-year-old boy. Among the casualties were twin sisters. The names of the children who died on Sunday are as follow: Adonijah Jerome, Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha D’Andrade, (and twin) Mary D’Andrade, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniel, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts, and Rita Jeffrey.
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