Durban — A patient who was at the Clairwood Hospital in Durban has died after she allegedly set herself on fire that caused it to spread throughout the hospital.
According to the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) Health Department, the 41-year-old patient was in the isolation ward of the hospital’s Internal Medicine Unit, which caused a fire in the ward as well as an adjacent ward. The department’s Nathi Olifant said 23 patients were evacuated safely and transferred to available beds, SABC News reported.
⚠️KZN | 24/10/2024⚠️
A 41 year-old patient dies after setting herself on fire at Clairwood Hospital in Durban.
The entire medicine unit where the fire started early this morning has been destroyed.
Fortunately, all 23 patients who were in an adjacent unit where evacuated. pic.twitter.com/F6bhL9jjxi
— SCP SECURITY (@SCP_SECURITY) October 24, 2024
According to IOL, the eThekwini Fire Department was able to put the fire out in time and the woman who had set herself alight was the only casualty, with no further injuries reported.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) spokesperson on health, Dr Imran Keeka, commended the hospital for their efforts to save the patients.
The Department is also currently investigating two other incidents in the province involving its Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In the first incident, a driver was transporting 60 patients and two crew members when the driver lost control of the bus after it hit a cow on the road. One patient died after being trapped under the bus.
In another incident, an EMS vehicle transporting two minors also overturned after hitting a stray cow, but none of the staff nor patients sustained injuries.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen