Fire disrupted services at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital on Wednesday after flames engulfed the Outpatient Department (OPD) – next to the Accident and Emergency Unit, which had caught fire on Saturday and which is still out of commission.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) confirmed that a second fire broke out early yesterday, with Motalatale Modiba, head of communications, saying the situation was “being monitored closely, and further details will be released as they become available”.
The extent of the latest fire has not yet been confirmed.
After the weekend’s fire, emergency services had already been operating under a business continuity plan, with ambulances being diverted and walk-in patients rerouted to designated service points, The Citizen reports.
This second incident has added to the strain, with some patients seen queuing outside the nearby Zamokuhle Private Hospital.
The cause of the first blaze, during which nearly 60 patients had to be evacuated and transferred to other wards, remains under investigation, but no injuries or casualties were reported, reports TimesLIVE.
TimesLIVE article – Tembisa Hospital not taking new patients after fire (Restricted access)
The Citizen article – Department confirms second blaze at Tembisa Hospital (Open access)
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