Mpilo Hospital sends out SOS after fire

Mpilo Hospital sends out SOS after fire
Published: 19 November 2018
MPILO Central Hospital is appealing for assistance to rebuild destroyed buildings after an inferno engulfed doctors' quarters on Saturday afternoon.

The hospital board chairperson Mrs Sichelesile Ncube appealed to the corporate world and the public to help rebuild the property valued at nearly $300 000 which was destroyed.

She said the fire which engulfed the doctors' bar and a wing with apartments for about 15 doctors, resulted in most medical practitioners losing all their property. A doctor was injured when he jumped out of his room.

Mrs Ncube said it was fortunate that no lives were lost as a result of the fire.

"The hospital lost a building while doctors lost personal belongings. We are looking for alternative accommodation for the doctors," said Mrs Ncube.

Some doctors said they lost important documents as their property was reduced to ashes. A doctor who declined to be named said he lost US$3 000 which he said he was saving for a wedding set for next month.

"I am preparing for my wedding and these days service providers are demanding forex hence I was saving forex," he said.

Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mr Richard Peterson said his office was contacted late hence it could not save the building and all the property. He said a bar attendant at the block saw the fire but had no numbers for emergency services.

"The fire started in one room and spread to the entire building through the ceiling," said Mr Peterson.

He said the value of property destroyed was $300 000 and property valued at $500 000 was saved.

"We managed to save the entire ground floor from the inferno," he said.

Mr Peterson said the cause of the fire remains unknown and investigations were underway.

"The fire started in a common room where the doctors do their cooking and someone could have left the stove on," he said.
- chronicle
Tags: Mpilo,

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