While it is still unclear what the exact cause of the fire was that raged at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 7 July, the Free State Department of Health is also yet to quantify the costs.
Investigations into the cause of the fire and various other aspects are ongoing.
Fanned by heavy wind, the fire damaged three areas of the hospital: ward 3, for paediatrics; ward 5, which is classified as a mixed ward; and ward 7 for male patients.
The patients who were in these wards at the time of the fire were all rescued and brought to safety, and the blaze was extinguished by the firefighters of the Mangaung Metro.
The fire left part of this oldest health facility in the city in ruins, and the cost to restore damaged sections of the building are estimated worth millions of rands.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the provincial Department of Health, said probing into the catastrophic fire was being done in different forms: as far as the criminal aspects are concerned, by the Bloemfontein police; and relating to safety of occupancy, by the Department of Labour.
“The Department of Labour’s investigation may result in determining the safety of occupancy of the building, and this determination will shape the engagements that the Department of Health will have with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,” explained Mvambi.
“As the Department of Health, we are unable to therefore determine the source of the fire, and the cost of damages due to the fire, until the investigations are completed.”
Mvambi said part of the emergency rescue included the deployment of staff accordingly, to meet the requirements of care of the patients sent to alternative health facilities. The 83 patients have been transferred to health facilities in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu.
Amidst probing into the cause of the fire, and with no official cause having been determined, it is believed that a smoker disposed of a cigarette butt that had not been put out completely.
Mvambi said the fire reportedly started outside the paediatric ward, then caught the trees, and spread to both the first and second floor of the hospital.
The fire was detected at about 15:20 on Sunday.
