Children rescued from Plum Park Children and Family Centre, which was gutted by fire on Monday evening, are receiving counselling following the traumatic ordeal.
Minister of Human Services and Social Protection, Dr Vindhya Persaud, provided an update on the welfare of the 26 children housed in the facility.
“The children were moved to other state care institutions. All of the children have been accounted for,” she said in a video released by her ministry on Tuesday.
She said some of the children were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
“A few of them suffer from asthma. One of them has epilepsy...Every child was seen and treated. Today the children will be sent home,” she said.
According to the minister, “They are also working with the other children to be able to continue to receive counselling and therapy that they need. (They) need to look at the particular situations that brought them to our home in the first place.”
She noted that the children came from diverse backgrounds.
“We will continue to ensure they go to school. We will ensure, as much as possible, that we are there to cater to their mental health and psychological needs, but outside of that, we are always providing safe shelter to these children,” the minister stated.
The minister thanked the Guyana Fire Service for their prompt response in containing the fire. She also thanked the Child Protection Agency’s Caregivers for their swift actions.
She noted that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
“We are always conscious that whenever there are public buildings, we should have every conceivable safety mechanism put in place, and like every other building, our buildings are equipped with fire extinguishers,” she said
She said there are routine fire drills at all the homes. She said the ministry is also working to train staff in first aid and basic life support.