Oxygen tank not cause of Slim River Hospital fire - Perak Health Dept

IPOH: A preliminary investigation by the Perak Health Department found that the fire in an isolation room in Slim River Hospital Tuesday night was not caused by an oxygen tank, which was reported to have caught fire.

State Health director, Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming, said further investigation into the cause of the 7.20 pm incident was being carried out by the hospital and the Fire and Rescue Department.

"The fire involved a male patient who was placed in the room.

"Nurses and healthcare assistants on duty immediately evacuated the patients to safety," she said in a statement here yesterday.

She said that the fire had resulted in the victim suffering nine per cent burns on the hands, and he was given further treatment.

She added that the patient, in his 40s, was now in a stable condition.

On Tuesday, personnel from the Slim River Fire and Rescue Station were deployed to the hospital, but the fire was successfully put out by hospital staff; five per cent of the isolation room was damaged in the incident.

-- BERNAMA