Management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has dismissed reports of a fire outbreak at its maternity block on Tuesday.
A video that went viral on social media is said to have captured the evacuation of newly born babies in the maternity block.
But, the hospital’s Management has, in an official statement signed by its Head of PR, Mustapha Salifu, described the video and its attendant commentary as “false alarm”.
The person who filmed the evacuation of the babies had claimed that the Ghana National Fire Service had been called but the personnel were yet to report to help douse the flame.
However, the statement said the problem was from a switch of an air-conditioning system at the doctors’ restroom around 9 pm.
The air-condition according to the statement started emitting smoke, but the situation was quickly contained.
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“The staff on duty quickly used fire extinguishers to put out the fire before the arrival of the Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS),” parts of the statement read.
The facility has since lauded the staff on duty for their alertness and professionalism, adding there were no casualties recorded with operations back to normal.
Read the statement below:
The Maternity Block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is not on fire as been alleged on social media.
What happened was an air-conditioner switch in one of the restroom of the doctors started emitting smoke which was detected by staff on duty at around 9pm yesterday [Tuesday].
The staff on duty quickly used fire extinguishers to put out the fire before the arrival of the Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS).
As a precautionary measure, some of the babies were moved to another wing of the same floor.
We wish to state no patient or staff suffered any casualties or injury. Normal operations have resumed after assessment by the Ghana National Fire Service indicated that, there was no further threat of danger to either patients or staff.
We wish to commend the staff on duty for their alertness and professionalism.
Mustapha Salifu
Head of PR
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.