By Christopher Yarwoe in Buchanan, Liberia
Grand Bassa: The Liberian Government Hospital in Buchanan, the provincial capital of Grand Bassa County has for the second time been gutted fire, just one week after electricity was restored after a previous fire.
The restoration of electricity happened last Friday, following the burning of the power house that damaged five generators at the hospital in Buchanan.
According to Mr. Samuel David, one of the electricians who have been working to restore electricity at the hospital, the cause of the fire was due to electrical fault.
Mr. David told the local Magic FM Community radio in the Port city that the fire started as a result of the fan that got on fire.
He said due to the closeness of the fan to the wall, the fire caught the curtain and extended to the roof of the hospital.
In an interview with the Logistician of the hospital Mr. Lincoln Wleh, he said, that the fire started in the Out Patient Department (OPD) where the Maternal Child Health department is located.
“This is where pregnant women are examined,” Mr. Wleh said.
He clarified that it is not the main building where patients are admitted. The Out Patient Department is where patients are examined and treated and thereafter, the patients go back home, the hospital Logistician noted.
Those areas affected by the fire he named included: the MCH, dispensing room, some parts of the OPD and its laboratory but, he was not sure whether the record section was destroyed.
During the time the fire was raging, Mr. Wleh said “We have the record section there, I have not gone there to know whether the records were burnt down; we also have the Emergency Room and straining room there; but until the fire team leaves the area, then I can go there to see for myself.”
According to him, that portion of the hospital was built by the Medical Emergency Relief International, MERLIN between 1995 to 1996. He added that the entire hospital was built in 1946 by the Government of Liberia.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the community dwellers came in to help contain it. They were also seen helping the hospital workers haul the medical materials and equipment out of the main building.
At the same time, Arcelor Mittal fire service truck brought water which the community dwellers were using to help put the fire off.
Also, the water tanker of the Fair Play Construction Company of Representative Matthew Joe later came in with additional water to help contain the fire outbreak.
The hospital logistician, who described the situation as unfortunate, said that it has created great setback for the hospital in the county.
“It is great setback for the entire south region area because this hospital serves as a referral center for Grand Bassa, Rivercess and Sinoe Counties” he noted.
And, trying to recover from the past fire situation and we trying to get back in the same situation, is too disheartening, he added.
He told Magic FM that the electrical team came from the Ministry of Health to do the electrical work for the Liberia Government Hospital.
Last week Saturday, the hospital got a donation of a brand new 20KVA Cumminf Generator from Senator Jonathan Kaipay of Grand Bassa County following the disruption of electricity that destroyed the power house and five generators.
In addition to that, the Ministry of Health sent two Perkin generators to the hospital.
The two generators were: one 40KVA and 50KVA.
According to the Administrator of the Government Hospital Mr. Isaac Bannie, some manner servicing was done on the two generators before they started using them.
Mr. Bannie thanked the Ministry of Health and Senator Kaipay for their contributions.
Currently, the Liberian Government Hospital is using the health facility of Arcelor Mittal to take treat patients.
Follow the disruption of electricity at the Liberian government Hospital last Thursday in Buchanan, one patient died.
The report said that 48 patients were transferred to Arcelor Mittal Hospital in the concession area, while 18 were taken to the Saint Peter Catholic Health Center as a result of the fire disaster at the Government Hospital in Buchanan.