Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has sent his condolences to the families of the two people who died in a fire that broke out in a Covid-19 ward at FH Odendaal Hospital in Limpopo.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in the hospital’s Covid-19 ward, which saw nurses spring into action to contain the blaze before the fire department arrived.
"I commend the nurses who extinguished the fire and rescued the patients inside the wards. We share in your pain in having experienced the loss of two patients, but we also pay homage to your heroism as you kept your oath and protected your patients," said Mkhize.
Mkhize’s sentiments were shared by Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba who visited the hospital on Tuesday.
"With the assistance of other nurses from nearby wards, they acted swiftly and managed to evacuate all patients. They bravely took fire extinguishers in the ward and managed to stop the fire from affecting the entire building," she said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but police are investigating.
"We welcome the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this terrible incident and encourage the team of fire experts from SAPS and forensic pathology from Health to bring us to a speedy resolution of this impasse," said Mkhize.