The Mercy Hospital fire
The administration of the 65-year-old St. Joseph Mercy Hospital , ravaged by fire early yesterday morning has confirmed that there were no deaths, neither were there any casualties in the fire which destroyed billions of dollars in assets and left scores of patients displaced. With a massive outpouring of support from civic minded persons, including the Guyana Police Force at Eve Leary and the Red Cross –the institution’s  immediate neighbours, fire fighters, staff of Bryden and Fernandes, the Guyana Legion and several others, patients were quickly evacuated from the burning building, placed in ambulances and whisked away to safety.
Hospital sources said that some were dispatched to the Woodlands Hospital, a short distance away in Carmichael Street, while others were sent to the Guyana Police Sports Club at Eve Leary and the Headquarters of the Red Cross on the opposite side of the road.  The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Duke Street, also in Kingston, has also provided temporary accommodation to the institution in distress.
One of the immediate priorities for the hospital, after evacuating the patients, even as the fire raged, was securing and transferring the patients’ charts to the Red Cross to ensure there was no interruption of treatment, and that dietary recommendation and restrictions were sustained.
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who hastened to the scene on learning of the conflagration, immediately used his good offices to render as much assistance to the hospital in distress, as possible.  This was gratefully acknowledged by both the administration of the hospital and the Guyana Red Cross.  Among the immediate relief given them was a large quantity of  bed linen for the affected patients seeking refuge at other  places and making ambulances available to shuttle patients.
Soon after, the Health Minister held an emergency press conference to brief the media on plans being put in place for emergency assistance to the hospital.
Meanwhile, a joint emergency meeting involving staff of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Red Cross, at which Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, Francis Alleyne, was present, was held at the Red Cross building to brief staff and address immediate concerns of the institution . Following the meeting, nurses who had turned up for duty were sent home and advised to return to the headquarters of the Red Cross the following day for further orders.
Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese, Bishop Alleyne  who reacted with shock on learning of the fire, was unable to say much.  The Bishop who was in the North West District over the weekend, said it was while on his return journey from Hosororo,  that he learnt of the fire. As the aircraft hovered  over the city, he beheld the catastrophe and was able to take some aerial photos of the hospital as it was burning.
As the painful events unfolded, the Red Cross, doing a remarkable job at responding to the disaster appeal, very quickly mustered and mobilised its volunteers and immediately set to work, in keeping with their mission.
Red Cross Administrator, Ms. Lydia Fraser, in brief remarks to the media, told of having responded promptly on receiving the news of the disaster from one of the groups associated with the hospital.  Expressing shock and deep regret over the incident, she said ,  “Right now, the most important thing is that all our patients were taken out very quickly … and the next is for the hospital staff to get about doing what they’re supposed to do.”
Meanwhile, as news of the fire spread, there was a surge of anxiety in the city, and many persons cried openly.  The common impulsive reaction to the news was to enquire whether there were casualties.  Those with loved one warded at the hospital rushed there to enquire about their safety.
Meanwhile, traffic in the area ground to a halt as fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles rushed to the scene. The piercing wails of  sirens could be heard as the news of the fire was flashed on the seven o’clock news on Voice of Guyana radio.