The New Year’s Day fire which gutted the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) echocardiography (ECG) laboratory was maliciously set, a Guyana Fire Service (GFS) probe has concluded.
Fire Chief (Ag) Gregory Wickham yesterday told Stabroek News that following an analysis of samples tested by the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL), investigators were able to confirm that the fire was deliberately set at the hospital.
The fire has left some $25 million worth of damage behind, along with the destruction of the public health system’s lone ECG laboratory. This has resulted in the laboratory’s work being halted.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum yesterday said that the police probe into the fire is continuing. He explained that the investigators are still awaiting the Fire Report from the GFS and the forensic report from the forensic laboratory in relation to evidential materials submitted for analysis.
Once the documents are obtained, consideration he said, will be made for the file to be perused by the police legal adviser.
A doctor was questioned as part of the probe and released on station bail.
At the time of the fire, the doctor was suspended from work following allegations of sexual harassment brought by a staff member. The doctor was eventually fired from the hospital.
Leading up to the fire, camera footage showed the doctor in the vicinity of the ECG laboratory. Due to the fact that he was suspended, he was not to be on duty or in the area of the laboratory.
The GFS had said that Water Tenders #102, #105, #106, and #112 from the Central, Campbellville and Alberttown Fire Stations were summoned to the GPH at about 05:24 hrs on January 1.
The fire occurred in the echocardiography room which is located on the first floor of the GPH and the entire room was severely damaged.
The prompt response of the GFS resulted in the containment of the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the hospital.
Former Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo had said based on the extent of damage, the fire started approximately 30-45 minutes prior to persons becoming aware of it.
“What happened there was after all the oxygen in the room would have been consumed that is when it started to smoke and persons became aware of it. The fire was dying down at that point leaving the smoke to escape through vents,” Edoo explained, adding that the confinement of the blaze prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the hospital.
He related that five 6.5kg CO2 fire extinguishers were used to put out the fire in the laboratory and applauded his team for an “excellent” and swift response.
