–Mental Health team to continue working with victims, others in coming months, Health Ministry affirms
THREE patients who were medevacked to Georgetown for treatment following the devastating fire at the Mahdia Secondary School’s female dormitory are being treated in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
This is according to the Ministry of Health, which confirmed in a release on Thursday that 12 girls are still under the care of the GPHC.
Three of those girls were admitted to the ICU, and nine are in the Paediatric High Dependence Unit. While two are still critical in the ICU, the ministry said the others are listed as stable.
“Their conditions are improving, and discharges for some are possible in the shortest possible time,” the GPHC said in its statement.
Additionally, after President Dr. Irfaan Ali arrived in Mahdia on Wednesday, he requested that 11 children who had gone home without seeing a doctor be medically assessed.
Those children arrived in Georgetown on Wednesday afternoon, and were assessed by a special team in the Emergency Room of GPHC.
Further, the ministry related that there is an enhanced medical team present in Mahdia, which includes the Ministry of Health’s Director of Primary and Family Healthcare Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, who is coordinating the medical response in Mahdia and other villages in the region that were affected by the tragedy.
Additionally, officials at the ministry said that the enhanced medical team, which was there since Monday, will remain in place at Mahdia and do follow-up visits over the next three months. At the end of those three months, a review is expected to be conducted to ensure an enhanced capacity is present in the town.
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said that since the incident, mental health teams were dispatched to Mahdia, and comprise a child psychiatrist, one child psychologist, three adult psychiatrists, two general psychologists, six social workers, mental health assistants, and two mental health-trained family physicians.
“This team, from Day One, prioritised all children who were in the ‘dorms’ at the time of the fire, including parents, guardians and teachers. They were all evaluated and offered psychosocial support,” the ministry said.
On Day Two, the 14 children who were hospitalised in Mahdia and their parents were evaluated, including the parents of the children who died in the fire.
This psychosocial assistance was further extended to first responders, auxiliary staff in direct contact with the fire, and other support staff.
According to the Ministry: “Thus far, in Mahdia and Region Eight villages, the Ministry’s Mental Health teams have worked with 260 persons, including 126 children. The team will continue to work in Mahdia and Region Eight villages continuously over the next three months.”
Following this period, the response will be reviewed, and a strong mental health team will be maintained in the region permanently. It was noted that all parents and children are under continuous support from this team.
