Emergency crews rushed to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital after reports of a fire on the ninth floor.
The Gauteng Department of Health has confirmed that the fire that broke out at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) on Monday afternoon was started by a psychiatric patient.
Fire reported at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital
The Gauteng provincial joint operations centre, a Gauteng police board initiative, issued a statement on Monday afternoon about reports of a building fire at the hospital.
“Emergency services are en route. Use alternate routes and keep the area clear for emergency crews,” the JOC said.
Fire started by psychiatric patient
The Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that the fire broke out at the female psychiatry ward.
“A mental health patient set fire to her bed while demanding to be discharged. Fortunately, there are no injuries sustained as a result of this incident,” the department said in a statement.
“Security personnel responded promptly and effectively to assist in extinguishing the fire.”
The department said the City of Johannesburg fire department also arrived on the scene and is currently working to clear the smoke from the affected area.
As a precautionary measure, patients were moved from the ward to allow for a thorough investigation to take place.
“Police are on-site to assist with this process. Hospital management and staff have taken immediate measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all patients in the ward,” the department.
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DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom went to the hospital to check on reports about a fire on the ninth floor.
“We’re just trying to get more details. Thankfully it seems to be contained,” he said.
DA asks why there are so many fires at hospitals
Bloom, however, questioned fire prevention measures at hospitals.
“How can we have fires breaking out so often at our hospitals? It’s quite a concern,” he said.
Bloom said the DA will ask the department hard questions about Gauteng hospitals, particularly at CMJAH, which has been devastated by fires in the past.
In April 2021, the hospital suffered significant damage from a fire.
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Patients were referred to other hospitals, such as the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Bertha Gxowa Hospital, which were already overburdened with patients.
A police forensic report in 2022 concluded that arson was the cause of the fire at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.
In April, the department confirmed that the remedial work to repair the hospital was progressing well and remained on schedule.
2021 fire damage repairs
The repair project is being conducted in two phases.
Phase one focuses on repairing Blocks 4 and 5 North, while phase two will involve hospital-wide fire compliance upgrades, which require R1.7 billion in funding.
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Phase one, which includes demolition and reconstruction work in critical areas, is expected to be completed by August 2026.
