The Gauteng Department of Health has confirmed that no patients or staff were injured after a fire broke out at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Monday morning at a wendy house which is used as a temporary storage area for COVID-19 medical waste and an in-transit corpse area.
Spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the fire which affected temporary structures at the facility was successfully extinguished by the hospital team, using the fire extinguishers on site.
“The fire which affected temporary structures at the facility was successfully put out by the hospital team, using the fire extinguishers on site. said Kekana.
Kekana said the eighteen patients have been moved to another area.
“Eighteen patients and one corpse were in separate temporary structures close to where the fire broke out and had to be moved to other areas of the hospital as a safety precaution,”She said.
She said the fire also affected a special temporary isolation unit and a tent used for persons under investigation.
“The affected structures were located outside the casualty area of the hospital.”
