Patients had to be evacuated from the Intensive Care Unit after a fire broke out at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Tshwane in the early hours of Saturday. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the blaze started from the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) lithium battery backup system, which had a leak and caught fire.

DISTRESS CALL

Spokesperson for Tshwane Emergency Services Lindsay Zwelithini-Mnguni said the fire was reported at about 00:45 to the emergency communication centre, which immediately dispatched firefighting resources to the scene. She said on arrival, the firefighters found that the management and staff members of the hospital had already commenced the evacuation procedures. "Firefighters immediately began with firefighting operations and also assisted with the evacuation of patients and staff to other wards of the hospital that were not affected by the fire. On further investigation, the firefighters discovered that the UPS which consists of lithium-ion batteries that serve as a backup system was on fire in the plant room, on the 7th floor.  One of the hospital's electricians came and isolated the power supply to these batteries to stop them from further damage," she said. 

NO ONE HURT

Gauteng Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba confirmed that no patient or staff members at the hospital were harmed following the incident where dense smoke filled levels six to three in the early hours of this morning. "Upon noticing the smoke management, staff immediately activated emergency protocols and ensured the safety of patients from cardiac and paediatric intensive care unit cases who were moved out of the affected ICUs to the alternative ones that were not affected," Modiba said. He said that the fire was confined to the UPS unit in the plant room. "The hospital building was not affected. The GDoH-appointed contractor is already on site to assess the extent of the damage and carry out the necessary repair work after approval. Evacuated patients will be moved back to their wards after the air sampling is concluded, the smoke odour is neutralised, and the wards are cleaned," he added.