Fire hits PGH building
A fire razed portion of the third floor of one of the buildings of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Taft Avenue, Manila early Sunday.
While no one was hurt in the incident, some of the patients, including infants, have to be transferred to other hospitals, authorities said.
The Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region said the fire started around 12:41am at the sanitation area of the operating room located at the Central Block building of the state-run hospital.
Second alarm was declared at 12:58am, and the fire was put under control at 2:46 am.
Firemen declared the fire out at 5:41am.
BFP-NCR said there were no reported casualties from the incident.
In a radio interview, Jonas Del Rosario, PGH spokesperson, said some patients were transferred to different wards and other nearby government hospitals while some returned to their rooms.
He said the COVID-19 pay patients were evacuated in the charity ward while some were brought to the emergency rooms.
"Central block, the PGH's pay hospital, cannot be occupied yet," Del Rosario said.
"The fire was contained in the area but the smoke went up to the higher floors... that's why the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th floors suffered from the smoke. That's why the patients were evacuated," he added.
While the operating rooms were spared from the incident, Del Rosario said assessment would still be made if it could already be used.
"There is still no announcement if the operation will proceed starting tomorrow or it will be on hold," he said.
He said 12 new born babies were transferred to Sta. Ana Hospital while the other children were brought to other hospitals.
Del Rosario said in the meantime PGH was not receiving new patients.
Authorities were still conducting an investigation on the incident. Ella Dionisio/DMS
