Guyana: Firefighter, 27, dies from injuries in school fire, family blames hospital negligence

Guyana: Vashan Manbodh, a 27-year-old firefighter from Guyana, tragically lost his life after suffering severe injuries when a wall collapsed on him while he was fighting a fire at Mae's School last Wednesday. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night at Georgetown Hospital. 

Fire officials reported that the firefighter, along with three others was rushed to the hospital on March 5 after a section of the building collapsed on them. 

The death of the young individual has left the community in shock with leaders and citizens expressing their sincere condolences to Manbodh’s family members.  

“Manbodh was a leader and hard worker who took pride in serving his country”, a close friend said. The other two firefighters remain hospitalized, and their conditions are being watched closely, according to sources. 

Fire Chief Gregory Wickham also expressed his deep sorrow and confirmed the loss of a ‘dear’ member of the team. He described Manbodh as a dedicated and valued member who tragic death has left a profound impact on his community and colleagues. 

Reportedly, the massive fire on March 5 completely destroyed Mae’s School in Subryanville, Guyana, displacing over 1,000 students and impacting the entire community. 

Family blames hospital for negligence 

Manbodh reportedly suffered several injuries on his head and injuries to other parts of his body. The death of Manbodh comes hours after his family raised concerns about his care at the hospital.  

The family complained that despite the serious injuries he was admitted in an open ward and also claimed that the hospital did not conduct an MRI scan to determine internal injuries. 

A family member said that since Wednesday he was admitted in the hospital and on Saturday his condition deteriorated to the extent that he was not able to speak properly and was not recognizing persons he should be able to recognize. The individual added that the MRI scheduled for 1:30 pm on Wednesday was further delayed due to poor preparation by hospital staff.  

While under hospital care, Manbodh also suffered a fall from the hospital bed, an incident which was not revealed to the family by hospital staff instead a fellow patient informed the firefighter’s mother.  

It was further reported that the fireman sustained major fractures to his neck which further impacted his motor skills however lack of medical attention by any senior doctor led him to succumb to his injuries.  

The family members of the 27 year old are now urging the authorities to look into this matter and conduct proper investigations in order to hold the staff responsible for his untimely death.