Eleven patients have been evacuated from Phutholoha Hospital in Ficksburg after a fire broke out last night, which is believed to have started in an isolation room.
According to Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the Free State Department of Health, the fire was quickly extinguished.
The patients were evacuated to avoid the risk of smoke inhalation and transferred to Clocolan’s JD Newberry (four female patients and three children), Ladybrand’s Senorita Ntlabathi Hospital (three male patients) and Dihlabeng Regional Hospital (one male patient).
“All patients and staff are fully accounted for. No one died or was injured as a result of the fire,” he said.
He says the cause of the fire will be thoroughly investigated.
“The Free State Department of Health would like to thank the quick response of the officials on duty who used the fire extinguishers at the hospital to put out the fire. Many thanks to the municipal fire brigade and EMS who responded in a timely manner to ensure the situation was brought under control,” Mvambi concluded.
The fire comes nine days after patients had to be transported to other healthcare facilities following a fire broke out at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein on July 7.
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