1 Military Hospital may close

2003-06-12 08:33

Erika Gibson

Pretoria - 1 Military Hospital, where visiting VIPs, staff of the United Nations and members of the defence force are treated, may close within days.

The hospital would have been closed this week after a fire inspection by Tshwane's safety division.

The inspection warning stipulated that the building "should immediately cease its activities and evacuate patients within 24 hours".

Surgeon-general Rinus van Rensburg has accepted responsibility on behalf of the South African Military Health Service for the hospital to remain open.

The warning from the safety division to close the building comes after the hospital ignored two previous fire-hazard warnings.

The orthopaedic section and blood laboratory already have been shut down.

The inspection showed that several of hundreds of fire extinguishers in the building should have been replaced as far back as 1993.

Other fire extinguishers had not been serviced nor tested in the past 10 years.

Dangers at the hospital include dangerous substances that are not stored properly, blocked emergency exits and inadequate entry and exit points in sections such as intensive care.

Being urgently corrected

Chris Lekgetho, head of fire safety of the Tshwane city council, said a follow-up inspection would be held on Tuesday.

"If the building still does not meet requirements, we will get a court order under section 54 of the legislation (that the building is unsafe).

"We will have no choice but to close the building down."

Major Niko Allie of the defence said the hospital had asked for the inspection to ensure the building met fire safety requirements.

"The problem areas are being corrected as a matter of urgency."

Allie said the building belonged to the department of public works. The defence force was now co-operating with the department to address the shortcomings.

"Most of the problems should be corrected within days. Nobody would be held accountable for the shortcomings because the hospital requested the inspection."

The defence force warned in its annual report last year that the hospital was in such a state of disrepair because of budget constraints that it would "soon" pose a risk to patients.

The report said equipment in the building was unreliable and the reaction time of ambulances so slow that it was a threat to patient safety.

Several United Nations emergencies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where South African soldiers also are stationed, had been treated at the hospital.

Send e-mail to reporter

- Beeld