BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE cause of Monday fire at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital in the capital was believed to have started due a heated lamp, said a top Health official yesterday.

Speaking to the media after conducting spot checks in the affected areas of the hospital, Minister of Health Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof said that the cause of the blaze had been identified by the Fire and Rescue Department. It pointed to a lamp that fell over near an emergency exit in one part of the hospital.

The fire broke out at 7.50am in the out-patient services section of the hospital on Monday. No casualties and injuries were reported in the incident.

The fire, the minister said, had damaged equipment, especially that located in the Cardiology Centre. However, he added, that the estimated loss due from the damage had not been determined.

The Ministry of Health, he said, had identified equipment and machines that needed to be replaced. “We are working to supply the machines needed,” he said.

Following damage caused by the fires, the ministry will relocate the Cardiology Centre and Diabetes Centre that were badly affected.

The Cardiology Centre has been temporarily relocated to the Specialist Block II, while patients who need services at the Diabetes and Endocrinology Unit can now go to the Medical Specialist Clinic. Those who need assistance from the dietetic unit can go to the Medical Library, which is located near to the Specialist Block. These services will be available from today. They were closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Patients whose appointments were affected on October 13 and October 14 can reschedule their appointments, the minister said.

Other services at the outpatient section of RIPAS Hospital, except the Cardiology Centre and Diabetes Centre, were operating yesterday. Also, the Accident and Emergency services were open since 6.30am yesterday.

“We have to serve the public. Even in one or two days we are able to normalise. This is because of the hard work of all officers and the support from the public as well as the relevant contractors,” he said.

“When I visited the hospital at 1am (yesterday), they were still working here to ensure that all services for the public would be back to normal,” he added.

The minister also reminded patients who need treatment for minor illness to go to the health centres in a bid to reduce overcrowding at RIPAS Hospital.

The Brunei Times