One of Guyana’s oldest and leading medical institutions, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital was severely damaged by yet another fire in the city and this is indeed a tragic loss in several respects. Over the last 67 years, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital has cared for the sick and injured of every race and creed.
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, a Catholic hospital in Georgetown, was established by members of the Sword of the Spirit movement and was officially opened and blessed by Rev. George Weld on August 15, 1945.
The institution was opened to patients on Saturday, September 1, 1945 and includes a School of Nursing.
The Hospital had its beginnings when a group of Catholic laymen of the “Sword of the Spirit” movement saw the need for another hospital in Georgetown, Guyana. The Sword of the Spirit was an Association of lay people pledged to the love and service of others with no exception.
They envisioned that this hospital would have as its philosophy, the commitment to serve the community by making available competent health care to those who sought it, irrespective of race, colour or creed, mindful of the teachings of Jesus Christ, Gospel values and the spiritual/physical nature of humankind endeavours.
From a medical standpoint the health care system will come under increased pressure as the severely damaged hospital will be inoperable for quite some time, while from a historical perspective it is one of the buildings that was constructed in the design of the old-style but unique architecture. And of course the financial loss and the loss of assets run into billions.
Of some consolation though is the fact that there were no casualties and the show of support from the Health Ministry and other medical institutions and organisations was heartening. One would shudder to think had the tragic fire resulted in the loss of lives.
However, the speedy response by staffers of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the efforts of public spirited citizens, as well as volunteers from the nearby Guyana Red Cross, averted a major catastrophe when fire broke out at the institution on Monday.
The Fire service also responded quickly and managed to contain the fire.
But the frequency of fires in Georgetown has become worrisome and is an issue that should be dealt with as a matter of priority because of the obvious implications.
Very often many people blame the Guyana Fire Service for not doing enough to curb fires. However, while this contention may have some merits the focus should be on the prevention of fires. And in this regard that is not the responsibility of only the Guyana Fire Service but rather the responsibility of every individual, entity and the entire society.
Too often buildings have faulty wiring; flammable materials are not stored in the prescribed manner; adequate fire safety devices at work-sites are not in place or are not in working order; buildings are constructed too close to one another.
In addition, we have to instill fire safety consciousness among our citizens or else we will end up with a monster similar to that of littering and garbage disposal.
Instilling the correct attitudes and requisite discipline is the key to licking many of our societal problems. In short if people think right, they will act right.