The Free State Health Department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi says services around the precinct of the National Hospital in Bloemfontein which is separate from the building that caught fire yesterday will continue.
This comes after a fire started outside the Paediatric Ward, with the trees catching alight and spreading to the first floor and second floor of the hospital.
All patients have been moved to other hospitals including Universitas, Pelonomi Hospital, Botshabelo Hospital and 3 Military Hospital https://t.co/af3UVNclWo #ArriveAlive #HospitalFire @traumaresponse @BurnshieldZA pic.twitter.com/FsrTJuP0au
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) July 7, 2024
Eighty-three patients were evacuated and taken to various hospitals across the province.
Mvambi says, “We just made sure that on the side of caution, we cut off the areas, we closed the main part of the hospital. But the other services around the precinct of the hospital like your eye care services, which are separate from this main building. Your oncology services, they will continue as normal.”
Mvambi says the department has made sure that the files of all the patients who were evacuated are sent to the hospitals they were transferred to.
He says an office has been made available for the next of kin to track their loved ones.
Mvambi says, “But also as to the next of kin, we have just made sure that we avail an office that will be giving them update about where their next of kin are. And if I can give you the number, the number is 0514039869, I repeat it 05140398669. If you don’t know where your next of kin is you can ask this number, they will tell you exactly where your patient is. We are satisfied that everybody else who had to be taken to any level of care, including maternity patients, were taken to the appropriate buildings for the continued continuation of their care.”
He says with all the disasters that are occurring across the Free State province, all their hospitals have been informed to activate their disaster plan.
PODCAST | Interview with the Free State Health Department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi on SAfm’s First Take:
Red Cross
Humanitarian aid organisation, the Red Cross, has lent a helping hand to the 83 patients.
The Red Cross manager in the Free State, Claudia Mangwegape says, “We have blankets that we will be providing to all 83 patients and we will also assist in terms of hygiene packs as well because as per communication with the Department of Health, nobody is allowed to go inside. So the patients have left all their belongings inside so we will then try to assist where we can.”
