Patients escape, others injured during fire at Psychiatric Hospital

A fight that broke out between three male patients at the National Psychiatric Hospital in Canje, Berbice on Saturday night, led to a fire that left several patients injured while others escaped.

Police Headquarters in a statement noted that the incident occurred at around 19:30hrs in the Chalet Four Male Admission Ward which housed 31 patients.

Police said the matron, along with the supervisor, and two male nurses went to the ward where they saw smoke and heard patients shouting for help.

The Fire Service was contacted and firefighters managed to extinguish the fire, but during that time, the patients escaped from a  southern door and nine of them escaped.

Three of them have been recaptured and a fourth voluntarily walked into the hospital as police continue the hunt for the remaining five. They all sustained burns about their bodies and are currently receiving medical attention.

Meanwhile, 11 other patients, who received burns about their bodies, were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where they were admitted and are in a stable condition.

Eight of the remaining patients, who did not suffer burns, are now housed in the Acute Centre, while three are housed in Chalet One.