Due to fire damage sustained to parts of Lautoka Hospital earlier today, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises that services at the General Outpatient Department, Special Outpatient Department and X‑ray department at the hospital have been temporarily suspended. No patients or staff were injured and no treatment was adversely affected by the fire.
The fire is believed to have started in the hospital’s old operating theatre. Lautoka Hospital staff, with support from the National Fire Authority, Police, military and local residents worked promptly and effectively to move all patients to safety.
The fire was contained after two hours and, following completion of safety checks, patients have moved back into the hospital.
The NFA is currently carrying out investigations to determine the cause of the fire.
The Ministry of Health & Medical Services is taking steps to ensure that essential services are maintained but is asking for the public to understand that there will be some disruptions.
Members of the public are requested to avoid visiting Lautoka Hospital for non‑emergency cases and to use other local health clinics wherever possible. Lautoka Hospital staff will give priority to emergency cases and, as a result, patients whose condition is assessed as being less urgent may experience delays.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar has confirmed that some of the departments at the Lautoka Hospital are still open however some of the services will be provided by the nearby health centres.
The services can be accessed at Kamikamica Health Centre located in Kashmir, Lautoka and Punjas Health Centre which is located in Waiyavi near Lautoka and arrangements have been made for these health facilities to extend their opening hours until 10pm with the deployment of General Outpatient Department nurses and doctors to assist with the patient flow.
Akbar has advised people who can access the Nadi Hospital and the Ba Mission Hospital to do so.
The Health Minister has also advised people to be mindful of the visitation hours.
She says until the Lautoka Hospital re-opens, emergency cases will be airlifted to CWM Hospital.
Akbar has also thanked the public for their assistance in evacuating the 157 in-patients to safety.
