A level two parking bay at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital is on fire. According to sources at the hospital, a storage with medicine and Personal Protective Equipment caught fire on Friday, 16 April.
The cause of fire is still unknown. Johannesburg Emergency Management Services is at the scene.
Speaking to Daily Sun, a nurse at the hospital, who asked to remain anonymous, said they heard other employees shouting that the building was on fire.
“When we went out of the building, the portion of the level two parking was burning. There is a store room on that floor that keeps PPEs and medicines,” said the nurse.
The hospital has been in the news recently, following disciplinary hearings for 45 employees accused of damaging parts of the facility during an unprotected strike in 2018.
A total of 40 employees were found guilty by the presiding officer. The disciplinary process is ongoing concerning the other five. The hospital looks to complete that process by the end of May.
The SunTeam reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health and Johannesburg Emergency Management Services.
While the two departments are working on statements, the People’s Paper will remain on the ground to update readers on the development of this story.
In a statement, Health Spokesman Kwara Kekana said no casualties were reported after the fire.
“The Gauteng Department of Health wishes to assure the public that the fire that broke out today at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital’s Special Dispensary Stores has been contained and no casualties have been reported. The fire broke out around 11h30 this morning,” he said.
Kekana said firefighters are still on-site and all staff in areas near the fire were evacuated.
“Hospital clinical services have not been affected. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Special Dispensary Store is used for storing all dry surgical and medical items. These items include gloves, PPE, and catheters amongst others.
The Department will share more details as they become available,” he added.
Synock Matobako, a Divisional Chief at the City of Johannesburg EMS said their officials attended to the scene and are still there investigating the cause of the fire.
