THE firebombing of the Health Ministry complex on Brickdam, Georgetown early yesterday morning has triggered heightened security at all government facilities and other places, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced.

He told a press conference at the Office of the President yesterday afternoon that several incendiary devices (channa bombs or Molotov cocktails) were located in the compound and while investigations continue, “it seems as though this was a deliberate act”.

Asked if the firebombing may be part of a bigger plot the President said “We can’t take chances – so no stone is being left unturned”.

He said several channa bombs were found in the compound and some apparently exploded while others did not.

Mr. Jagdeo said he could not comment on culpability at this point in time because the investigations are still ongoing.

“But trust me — no angle is left out from the investigations…I have had extensive meetings with the security forces and we are going to get to the bottom of this and we are going to get the people who did this”, he declared.

He announced a $25M reward for any information that could help track and convict those who committed “this atrocious act”.

“…it is really a sick act on the part of depraved people who will target a public building that provides support for the whole country, particularly in the area of people’s wellbeing and in health care”, the President noted.

He called the firebombing an horrific act, pointing out that it’s not the government that is being affected but thousands of people across the country and taxpayers money would have to go to restoring the complex.

Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, at a press conference earlier in the day, said the fire started on the upper floor of the main building in the complex.

The complex that was gutted by the blaze that started around 03:00 h, housed the offices of Ramsammy and senior ministry officers and four other annexes.

Three other buildings in the compound were slightly damaged, including one in the southeastern corner of the compound in which an incendiary device was placed. An eyewitness said the flames there were put out by firefighters who were alerted to the blaze while fighting the fire in the main complex and the room where the device was placed among documents was slightly scorched.

President Jagdeo said the loss of the complex will set back the management of the health sector and the government has to start rebuilding from scratch.

He said “we can only deplore this as a country given the enormous loss of resources that the country has suffered and the possibility of a setback in the delivery of health services to our people.”

He reported that Ramsammy and Minister in the ministry, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, are spearheading the organization of alternative arrangements to manage the sector and the ministry will be functional again during next week.

He said the plan is to get essential services up and running so that there is no prolonged setback to the delivery of health care in the country.

Ramsammy said this is a crisis for the Guyanese people but assured that the ministry will continue its services.

“We at the Ministry of Health refuse to give into this disaster – whether it was a disaster crated by accident or by design…the services of the Ministry of Health are in place and functional”, he said.

He told reporters that two of the three remaining buildings in the compound were released by police and fire service officials for use by the ministry.

“If in fact it is arson and the Ministry of Health was targeted, it is sad; it is despicable because the Ministry of Health doesn’t belong to a political party or one group…this is the people’s property and provides services to anybody…certainly, it is only a warped mind that would think of a Ministry of Health”, he said.

He said three “fairly new” vehicles were destroyed in the fire but about 50 others were saved.

The minister said he was the last of the employees to leave the building Thursday night and acknowledged that security at the ministry has always been a major problem for him.

“I have never been satisfied in the 10 years at the ministry with the level of service provided by the contracted services…everybody has the same issue – even in the private sector”, he said.

Ramsammy said he was told that two security guards were on duty in the compound at the time of fire.