16 WARDS RESUME OPERATIONS

Main building badly affected after deadly fire on Oct 25 last year

THE Sultanah Aminah Hospital’s (HSA) main building is now gradually coming back to life, five months after a blaze saw six patients killed in the biggest fire tragedy involving a hospital in the country.

Sixteen wards with a total of 500 beds resumed their services earlier this month, including the Emergency and Trauma Department, which is now up and running again.

Many wards in the western wing, which had been closed temporarily for repairs and thorough checks by contractors, have also re-opened.

Hospital director Dr Aman Rabu said only the Intensive Care Unit and the Cardiothorasic Intensive Unit remained closed for now.

“Out of the 18 wards affected by the overall repairs work after the fire, 16 have resumed operations since March 1.

“Among the wards serving the public now are the Emergency and Trauma Department, maternity wards and the operation theatre,” said Dr Aman.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat had previously said that the repairs work at the HSA main building were completed three months ahead of schedule.

Ayub said the hospital received an audit report from the Fire and Rescue Department on Dec 8 last year, which recommended four short-term safety measures to allow the main building to resume operations.

The four measures were to conduct a Fire Safety Organisational Basic Training with the Fire and Rescue Department, install a fire alarm system, include dry powder fire extinguishers at the hospital and ensure the path to exits were not blocked.

Meanwhile, patients and their families were relieved to know that the HSA main building was operating again.

Advertising company worker Chandran Manickam, 52, said his family preferred to seek treatment at the hospital due to its central location.

He said his elder sister, Alumene Manickam, 63, was warded during the fire last year and nurses and doctors helped to wheel her out of the ward to safety.

Food stall assistant Sulastri Man, 58, said she regularly took her husband, Mat Isa Salleh, 62, for followup checks for his liver ailment.

“It is closer to my house in Tampoi compared with Sultan Ismail Hospital, which is a 30-minute drive.