Govt’s Psychological First Aide evaluation not sufficient to determine PTSD in survivors of horrific Mahdia school dorm fire -expert

May 17, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News-  Dr. Steven Berkowitz, an expert in the field of psychiatry at the University of Colorado, USA, told the High Court in Georgetown on Friday that a Psychological First Aide (PFA) evaluation which was administered to the teen girls who survived the horrific Mahdia School Dormitory fire, was not sufficient to determine whether they had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Berkowitz was the second US trained expert to be called to the witness stand in the trial of two girls who survived the Mahdia School dormitory fire, which claimed the lives of 20 children, on May 22, 2023.

The parents are suing the state for in excess of $10 million for inter alia, emotional and psychological damage they sustained as a result of the horrific ordeal.

The lawsuit explained that the girls who were 14 years old at the time, were trapped inside the grilled building where some of their friends, and siblings were burnt alive.

In his evidence led before Justice Sandil Kisson, Dr. Berkowitz shared insight in his area of expertise- psychiatry. The witness spoke of the impact the traumatic events could have on survivors including adults, adolescents and children.

Based on a line of questioning posed by attorney Eusi Anderson, the psychiatrist told the court that the initial methods used to evaluate teenage survivors of Mahdia fire, provided a limited scope of determining deeper psychological issues.  The survivors were seen by state-appointed psychologists who made some initial interventions using the PFA approach.

The doctor noted that while the PFA approach is an appropriate initial first aide response to the trauma, it is meant to be administered with the first couple of weeks of a traumatic event or incident, but must be followed up with suitable monitoring and evaluation.

Dr. Berkowitz noted that in the case of the survivors of the Mahdia dorm fire, while the girls had some psychological examination after their first three days in the Intensive Care Unit, they needed to be further monitored to determine deeper psychological/psychiatric issues.

The doctors explained that people who live through traumatic events such as the Mahdia School fire, often present with deeper psyche issues that surface over time.  These issues would lead to patients needing cognitive behavourial therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The latter is a psychotherapy treatment primarily used to help individuals process and resolve traumatic memories, particularly those related to PTSD.

Based on the data provided, Dr Berkowitz said he is unclear what type of therapy was used on the students after their initial evaluation by local psychologists.  He noted that there was “no mention of these.”

According to the doctor, there are trauma specific therapy meant for survivors of catastrophic events. He explained that once administered correctly, therapy can lead to providing a safe path to recovery for patients. Asked to provide specific instances, the witness alluded to children who survived Hurricane Katrina that underwent the therapy.  “Sixty percent of those patients no longer met the criteria for PTSD after they received treatment.”

The doctor told the court that based on his knowledge of the efficacy of the PFA approach which was administered, the survivors of the Mahdia school dorm fire; the success rate of method of this type of therapy is just around 20 percent.

Further, the doctor stressed that the follow up monitoring evaluation of the survivors of the event was essential since PTSD symptoms do not appear immediately after an event.

“It usually takes about 30 days before the symptoms show up,” Dr Berkowitz added.

He opined therefore that initial evaluation could not be enough to determine the true nature of the girls’ emotional and psychological health after the fire.

Under cross examination by state counsel Darshan Ramdhani, the witness was asked his views on the virtual evaluation of the survivors conducted by Dr. Amber Mc Donald. Dr Mc Donald who evaluated both survivors mentioned in the lawsuit, determined that they presented with symptoms of PTSD, and stress related disorders.

Ramdhani sought to determine from Dr. Berkowitz whether a virtual evaluation of the girls was sufficient to determine diagnosis. In response, Dr Berkowitz said that Dr. Mc Donald has “fair enough” experience and knowledge to make the determination in a virtual setting.

According to the doctor, the evaluation is guided by internationally acceptable best practices and guidelines for diagnosing anxiety, trauma and stress related disorders.  He said an evaluation can typically take between an hour and an hour and a half to conclude. The doctor revealed too that the therapy sessions take just around the same time.

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