Thu | May 28, 2026

Newborns safe after minor fire at Mandeville Regional Hospital

Published:Friday | June 21, 2024 | 12:33 PM
File photo.

The Southern Regional Health Authority is reporting that all newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester are safe following a minor fire at the facility this morning.

The hospital's CEO Alwyn Miller explained that about 3: 45 a.m. staff members were alerted by smoke coming from a ward that houses the NICU.

Investigations revealed that smoke was coming from an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) device, which resulted in a minor fire. 

The fire department was called and the blaze was extinguished.

The regional authority says staff members immediately removed the 11 newborns and relocated them to an appropriate area of the paediatric ward. 

Following an assessment, all newborns and staff members are safe.

The regional authority says the facility has assessed the situation and it is being rectified. 

It added that usage of the area will resume before the end of today.

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