PPEs destroyed in storeroom blaze at Gauteng hospital
A fire has engulfed a storeroom containing personal protective equipment (PPE) at Carletonville Hospital, west of Johannesburg.
The blaze, which broke out on Thursday morning, destroyed everything inside.
Spokesperson for the Department of Health in Gauteng, Kwara Kekana says the building was used as a storage facility for PPE and other equipment.
“The hospital was requested by Gauteng Department of Infrastructure and Development to assist with temporary storage of health equipment and linen meant for the Anglo-Ashanti Hospital during its construction phase, due to the relative close proximity of the hospitals to each other.”
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She says while no casualties were reported, most of the protective equipment was destroyed by the fire.
“There were no staff or patient casualties as a result of the fire. However, most of the items in storage were completely destroyed. A team of engineers from DID visited the site to assess the electrical appliances and the department awaits their official report.”
Police are investigating the cause of the fire amid reports that it could have been the result of arson.
“The hospital has replenished PPE stock from the provincial warehouses and an alternative storage area has been identified within the hospital to keep the stock,” Kekana says.
The department says the fire has not disrupted any of the hospital services.
