The National District Hospital in the Free State re-opened wards and sections of the Bloemfontein facility that had been gutted by a fire in July 2024 – the cause of which is still unknown despite a year-long investigation, writes Molefi Sompane for Health-e News.
Health MEC Viceroy Mahlasti said last week that for the past year, patients and staff had been diverted to surrounding hospitals, while some services, like eye-care and oncology, had temporarily been provided in a building adjacent to the main hospital.
These services have now moved back to their previous premises.
“We had to transfer staff to other facilities while the construction was taking place, but are happy things are now back to normal,” he said.
Other departments that have been restored include the pharmacy, outpatient department, and medical wards.
It has long been suspected that smoking was the cause of the devastating blaze, and hospital staff have appealed to the MEC to ban smoking by both workers and patients inside the hospital premises.
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Western Cape hospital fire under investigation
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