Full report on fire at HSA available in September

The full report on the fire outbreak at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) last October, is expected to be made available this September.

State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman, Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the probe was being conducted by the HSA ICU Ward Fire Incident Independent Investigation Committee.

"The Health Ministry had set up this committee to prepare a full report on the fire but to date, the hospital has not been officially informed of the investigation findings on the cause of the incident," he said at the state assembly sitting, here, today.

Ayub was replying to a question from Yeo Tung Siong (DAP-Pekan Nenas) on developments pertaining to maintenance work, costs, findings of the investigation and precautionary measures taken following the fire outbreak.

He said the immediate repair and maintenance works had been completed at a cost of RM1.157 million, while the re-wiring work, fire-prevention measures and improvements to the ICU ward were now at the stage of evaluation and counter-inspection by the Health Ministry.

"As a precaution, HSA has installed smoke-detecting devices according to the bomba (Fire and Rescue Department) specifications, and will hold fire safety and fire-fighting training sessions with bomba scheduled for Aug 15, conduct fire audit four times a year and increase the number dry dust-type fire extinguishers."

Ayub said HSA had also formed a Fire Response Squad involving 40 of its staff who had undergone basic fire safety training with bomba from last Dec 20 to 22.

He added that the Fire-Prevention Awareness Week had now been made an annual affair at HSA with the cooperation of bomba and the activities included exhibition, talks and use of fire-fighting equipment demonstrations.

The fire outbreak at the hospital's south ICU ward on the second floor on Oct 25, last year claimed the lives of six patients including four women.

- BERNAMA