Eleven patients were evacuated from Phuthuloha Hospital in Ficksburg after a fire, which allegedly started in a seclusion room, broke out last night.

According to the Free State’s Department of Health spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, the fire was swiftly extinguished.

The patients were evacuated to avoid the risk of smoke inhalation and have been relocated to Clocolan’s JD Newberry (four female patients and three children), Ladybrand’s Senorita Ntlabathi Hospital (three male patients) and Dihlabeng Regional Hospital (a male patient).

“All patients and staff are fully accounted for. No one died and no one got injured as a result of the fire,” he says.

He states the cause of the fire will be thoroughly investigated.

“The Free State Department of Health thanks the speedy response of the officials on duty who used the fire extinguishers at the hospital to quell the fire. Many thanks to the Municipal Fire Brigade and EMS that responded timely to ensure that the situation was brought under control,” Mvambi concludes.

The fire follows nine days after patients had to be transported to other healthcare facilities after a fire broke out at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein on July 7.