Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Kenema Hospital Fire-Culled from Standard Times



Fire Disaster Wrecks Kenema Hospital….Matron, Doctor And Others Arrested
Posted by Fayia A Fayia on Feb 21, 2011, 19:29




Kenema Hospital on Fire....Youths trying to put out the fire
The Internal Affairs Minister Hon. Musa Tarawally was on Friday 18th February, 2011 ordered the arrest of Dr.Jemisa, Matron Stevens, Hospital Secretary of the Kenema Government Hospital, Pious Saffa, and Mr. Thomas all senior members of staff of the hospital, following a serious fire disaster that left the Maternity Unit and other divisions of the hospital completely burnt down.

The decision of the minister of internal affairs came when the various hospital authorities had made to the minister and his entourage conflicting statement with regards the inferno.
The Minister and the Chief Fire Force Officer, Mr. Kamanda Gbongay and entourage were left with no option but to order their arrest after listening to pieces of evidence from the various hospital authorities. The Minister and his team discovered that they advanced conflicting pieces of evidence relating to the cause of the fire disaster, which led to the suspicion that the disaster was an organized incident.

Youths including bike riders and the Members of Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces –(RSLAF), it would be recalled did their best on Thursday 17th February 2011to put the fire under control but only succeeded in preventing the fire from transferring to other buildings .

Sand and water were used to put off the fire but their efforts did not prevent the building that housed the offices of the Matron, Medical Superintendent, Store, Labor Room, from burning down completely.
Patients and their relatives were rescued from the burning building by youths and Military Officers but their personal belongings, drugs and other Medical equipments were burnt, but no life lost.

Irate youths in Kenema vented out their grievances at the late arrival of one of SALCOST water bowzer and the fire force team from Bo, thus denying them access to enter the hospital compound Report states that the Hospital Management and other stakeholders were in meeting at the same building when they were chased out by the fire.

Meanwhile observers have linked the fire to electrical problems. It could be recalled that the Maternity Unit was reconstructed and furbished by UNICEF, IRC and other development partners under the Emergency Obstetric Care Program

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