The Gauteng Health Department is investigating circumstances that caused a fire at a female psychiatric unit at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, which led to the death of a patient.
According to the department, the 35-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital last week Thursday and placed in a seclusion room on Monday, as part of her prescribed treatment.
“At around 18h35 in the evening, a smoldering smoke and small fire broke out from the seclusion room. Immediate actions were taken to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of patients. The fire was quickly contained and extinguished by the fire brigade, but unfortunately the patient in the seclusion room sustained fatal injuries.
Seventeen other patients in the unit were successfully evacuated and temporarily relocated to a different wing of the psychiatric department as a precautionary measure,” said the department spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba.
Modiba added that the cause of the fire is still unknown, and the department has sent a message of condolences to the patient’s family. The department said the deceased’s family and those of the 17 patients will be provided with counselling services.
Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department said it was notified of the incident at approximately 18:44 and immediately dispatched firefighting resources to the incident.
“Firefighters arrived on the scene to find that the hospital staff had already extinguished the fire in a single isolation ward using portable fire extinguishers.
The scene was handed over to the South African Police Services for further handling. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined,” said the department spokesperson, Charles Mabaso.
