The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester will remain out of use until some time next week.

This, following a fire at the facility early this morning.

Reports are that at about 3:45 AM, staff members were alerted by smoke coming from a ward which houses the unit.

Investigations revealed that the smoke was coming from a U-P-S device, and that there was a minor fire.

The Fire Brigade responded and extinguished the fire.

The 11 newborns who were in the facility, have been relocated.

Following an assessment, it was determined that all the newborns and staff are safe.

The Southern Regional Health Authority had indicated that usage of the area would resume before the end of today.

But in an update this afternoon, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Alwyn Miller noted that the 11 babies removed from the NICU will be kept in the Pediatric Ward for several days.