The girl who was badly burnt in the Mahdia dormitory fire on May 21 is making progress at a New York hospital and could be discharged in a couple of weeks.
This is according to a release yesterday from the Staten Island University Hospital which reported on a visit to her by Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony.
After the May 21 fire that claimed 20 lives, the 12-year-old girl with severe burns to more than 40% of her body was taken to the GPHC. The patient was soon after transferred to the United States to receive comprehensive burn care at Northwell Health’s Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH).
“The patient suffered second and third degree burns to approximately 40 percent of her body,” explained Michael Cooper, MD, director of the Regional Burn Center at SIUH. “Her injuries required extensive skin graft surgeries, 24/7 pain management, physical therapy and counseling”, he said in the release.
The release added that Anthony visited with the patient and her care team to discuss her ongoing treatment and prognosis. In addition to Dr. Cooper, the minister spoke to Eric Cioe Peña, MD, vice president of Northwell Health’s Center for Global Health, and Kimlyn Long, MD, associate director of the Regional Burn Center at SIUH.
“To see her smile is emotional. The physical recovery is the first part, but the psychological recovery is so important and can be even harder with emotional scars,” said Dr. Peña was quoted as saying.
The release said that the patient has begun to walk about 10 to 15 feet but doctors would like to get her to around 40 feet before discharging her home, which will likely be in a few weeks. In preparation for her return to Guyana, the team discussed the next steps in transition of care and their commitment to making the integration as seamless as possible between the two institutions, the release said. “We had a national tragedy, but I was glad to see her today. When she left Guyana she was unconscious, and today she is smiling. Over the last couple of weeks, she has made significant progress,” said Minister Anthony. “I am grateful to the staff at Northwell for the care, experience and expertise they have put in to make sure she is getting the best outcome. We’re excited to bring her home!”, he said.
