Fire at Eastern Cape nurses’ home destroys medicines

The Eastern Cape department said it was shocked by the mysterious fire that engulfed the nurses’ home in Ncora outside Cofimvaba.

• A nurses’ home in the Eastern Cape caught fire.
• The fire destroyed large quantities of medicine and healthcare workers’ belongings. 
• The department will order more medicine to ensure that patients don’t default on their treatments. 

The Eastern Cape Department of Health has warned of a possible shortage of medication in Ncora, outside Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, after a nurses’ home went up in flames over the weekend.

The fire destroyed medicines and healthcare workers’ belongings.

Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth said: “The incident happened on Sunday, and the fire destroyed the three-room building, with a staff room, tea room and medicine storage. Health workers’ uniforms, food, personal belongings, furniture, wallets and money all went up in smoke.”

The medicines that were destroyed had arrived from the depot last week.

“The department will order more medicine to ensure people don’t default on their treatments. Among temporary measures, the department is looking at procuring park homes (containers) to accommodate the affected workers, store medicine and use as a tea lounge,” the MEC added. 

READ | Patients sent to pharmacies as clinics run out of medicine

She said she was grateful that no one was killed or injured in the fire.

“We sympathise with the workers who lost their belongings. The department will organise counselling for all the affected workers to help them deal with this ordeal,” she added. 

The Eastern Cape health department said it was shocked by the fire that engulfed a nurses’ home in Ncora.

Supplied Photo: Supplied

Meth said a team of senior district officials went to the scene on Monday. The cost of the damage has not yet been determined.

The fire is under police investigation. 

In April, some parts of the province experienced a shortage of medication when the department said its depots were affected by a National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union strike.