Charlotte Maxeke hospital services to resume in May 

Hospital services at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital are set to resume from 3 May, the Gauteng health department said in a statement on Saturday morning. 

A fire gutted the special dispensary store and parking lot of the Johannesburg-based hospital last weekend. 

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More than 800 patients had to be transferred to 17 health facilities. 

An estimated R40 million worth of “real stock” including PPE was lost in the fire.

Preliminary assessments of the building revealed the fire affected block three and four of the hospital, which will remain closed until a detailed structural assessment is completed by engineers. 

Investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing.

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The department said a “phased approach” would be implemented, and that patient transfers would begin during the weekend of 1 and 2 May.

Meanwhile, Western Cape Local Government announced that another fire broke out at the Caledon Hospital on Thursday night.

It said that the fire was extinguished within hours, although the fire was extinguished it still managed to completely destroy one ward.

James-Brent Styan said that no one was injured and that all patients were evacuated in time to safety.

“The fire was contained to one ward that was affected and after the official clearance by safety personnel who were on scene patients went back to their wards except for the ward that was affected,” said Styan.

“Hospital staff evacuated all affected areas. Three municipalities sent fire engines… the blaze was contained.”