Staff and patients and at the Fort Wellington Hospital were forced to evacuate the building around 12:50 pm yesterday after electrical panels and appliances started to burn because of fluctuating electricity.
Shaken, the staff remained outside until they felt it was safe enough to return to their normal duties while the patients were given early discharge. Staff members des-cribed the experience as “scary”.
The problem started from the transformer on an electrical pole in front of the hospital which also supplies power to nearby residents, who said that some of their electrical appliances were damaged by the surges. Reports are that the transformer, which was believed to be overloaded, was also sparking.
Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Sri Devi Jagjit told Stabroek News that the air-conditioning unit and other apparatus in the laboratory were destroyed as well as a computer in her office.
According to her she and a staff member were on their computers when they heard the UPS back-up beeping loudly.
She said they became more concerned when she heard louder “sparking” sounds coming from the electrical panels in the control room and from the light bulbs.
She said they then started to unplug appliances like the refrigerator to prevent them from damaging too.
Dr Jagjit also contacted the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) and the electrician attached to the regional administration. Shortly after the GPL workers arrived, normal power was restored but this only lasted for about five minutes after which the area lost power.
The RHO could not immediately assess the extent of the damage because of the blackout. Other staff told this newspaper that this was not the first time the transformer had affected the hospital’s electrical supply but it was the worst incident to date.
