20 Mar 2016

The Minister of Heath, Ms Dorcus Makgatho has applauded government disaster management team and workers at Gumare Primary Hospital for the fast response to a fire emergency, which destroyed part of the hospital in the early hours of Friday.

The minister was in Gumare to appreciate the situation first hand.  She said due to rapid response, the fire that burnt down the theatre, laboratory and X-ray room was immediately managed before it could spread to other hospital facilities.

She said this protected the destruction of the hospital and also saved lives and some valuable machinery such as the X-ray machine. The minister said the health facility remained suspended until at earliest next week with some limited services.

At present, authorities has taken some medical staff from Gumare Primary Hospital to local clinics where members of the community will temporarily get their health services. Ms Makgatho announced that government has already budgeted for the upgrading, refurbishment and expansion of the health facility under the Economic Stimulus Programme.

She said her ministry will fast track the project during the next financial year. 

On other issues the minister said about 30 patients have been evacuated to Letsholathebe Hospital in Maun following a fire that burnt down part of Gumare Primary Hospital.  Rescuers led by the North West District Council Fire Department say no casualties were reported.

Ms Makgato said the cause of the fire has not been established and further investigations continue. The hospital superintendent, Dr Nhlanhla Rabanyana said no one was hurt in the inferno reported in the early hours of Friday.

He said the health authorities decided to evacuate the patients to Maun as a precautionary measure. 

Dr Rabanyana said the general ward which is situated very close to the theatre has been evacuated already, and patients have been taken to a temporary shelter as they wait to be air lifted to Maun some 250 away.

The chief fire officer for the district, Mr Mashingo Fati said the health facility suffered massive damage as the key theatre and laboratory burnt to ashes although some equipment from the X-Ray room was not damaged. Ends