ALL 33 children residing at the privately owned Hope Children’s Home at Enmore, East Coast Demerara, were safely evacuated following a fire at the facility on Friday, with Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who is performing the duties of President, visiting the scene and giving the assurance that the safety and well-being of the children remain the government’s foremost priority.
Prime Minister Phillips visited the children’s home where he received briefings from members of the Guyana Fire Service, officials from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), and other personnel involved in the emergency response.
It was noted that at the time the fire broke out, the children were attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the church building located on the compound. The blaze reportedly started in the boys’ dormitory.
PM Phillips expressed relief that there was no loss of life and commended the caregivers and employees of the facility for their swift response, which helped ensure that all children were removed from danger.
He also thanked firefighters, emergency responders and other personnel for their coordinated efforts in managing the situation.
Following his visit to the scene, Prime Minister Phillips visited the Enmore Regional Hospital where he met with persons who sustained minor abrasions and smoke inhalation during the incident.
He received an update from medical personnel on their condition and wished them a speedy recovery.
The Prime Minister later visited the children who were relocated to the Mahaica Children’s Home, where he was joined by Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud.
During the visit, Phillips interacted with the children and thanked the caregivers and staff at the Mahaica facility for accommodating them and ensuring they continue to receive the necessary care, protection and support.
Meanwhile, Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham said the Guyana Fire Service responded after receiving reports of the fire, deploying three fire appliances along with two ambulances and the necessary personnel.
He said all children and staff members who were in the building at the time of the incident were accounted for.
The Chief Fire Officer reported that three persons sustained injuries during the incident, including an attendant who suffered an injury to her left hand and a student who experienced shock.
He said both persons were attended to by emergency medical technicians and were transported for further medical treatment.
Firefighters remained on the scene working to suppress the blaze and preventing it from spreading to other structures.
Wickham expressed concern over the incident, noting the importance of protecting children and ensuring their safety.
“We are very sorry for this situation because we know the care given to our children is very important, and the protection of the lives of our children is very important to us all,” he said.
He also urged parents and guardians to have confidence in the response system, assuring them that the children were safe and receiving care.
The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, in a statement, further confirmed that all 33 children had been safely evacuated from the facility, comprising 15 girls and 18 boys.
According to the ministry, the children were immediately moved to a safe area on the dam after evacuation and were all accounted for.
The Childcare and Protection Agency, along with officials from the ministry, began relocation efforts for the children to state-care facilities where they will continue receiving care, protection and support.
The ministry further added that it will continue to monitor the situation and reiterated that the safety and well-being of the children remain the highest priority.
