Labasa Hospital, located in Fiji’s Northern Division, is prioritising emergency services and redirecting other patients to nearby medical facilities following a fire incident near its maternity ward this morning.
The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical fault, the Ministry of Health said adding that it is being attended to by personnel from Electrical Fiji Limited (EFL) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MOIT).
No injuries were reported in the fire that broke out at approximately 5am. National Fire Authority (NFA) responded to contain the fire, and patients were safely evacuated with assistance from the Fiji Police Force.
Within three hours, the ministry said affected wards were declared safe, allowing the evacuated patients to be moved back. However, the hospital will not resume normal operations until the Fire Department completes its investigation and declares the hospital safe. The ministry did not say how long it would take, only stating that it would focus on emergency services over the next 24 to 48 hours.
“Other members of the public requiring other treatments will need to go to their nearest medical facilities. For those scheduled to attend their clinic, the ministry wishes to advise members of the public to contact their clinics and reschedule dates. It is important that mass gathering at the hospital is prevented.”
