A midnight fire at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba (FNPHY), Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, has compounded challenges facing the tertiary care facility.
The fire, which broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday, destroyed the Occupational Therapy building, including offices and patients’ rehabilitation equipment worth millions of naira.
When The Guardian visited the hospital at dawn yesterday, the upper floor had been completely razed, while the gym, treatment rooms and adjoining research offices were badly damaged.
Sympathisers gathered at the scene, expressing shock at the losses. Some workers were still within the affected Physiotherapy Department despite safety concerns.
The Guardian learnt that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical surge in the gym area. Firefighters and hospital workers contained it to one floor, although the roof sustained extensive damage.
Findings indicated that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were not initially alerted.
The Medical Director, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, said the fire started around 11:00 p.m. in the Occupational Therapy building.
He said the affected section contained computer systems, sewing machines, tie-dye materials and gym equipment.
“No one knew what caused the fire. The fire occurred when no one was in the building. An alarm was raised by the maintenance section, and the Federal Fire Service in Ojuelegba was alerted. They arrived within 30 minutes, but the damage had already spread,” he said.
Owoeye added that the Lagos State Fire Service later joined the operation but withdrew around 1:00 a.m. to refill their water supply before returning.
On the presence of workers at the site, he said he had directed that no staff should remain in the building and instructed the Director of Administration to enforce compliance.
A staff member said the incident was unusual, noting that the affected section does not operate on weekends.
A senior medical practitioner told The Guardian that the fire represents another setback for the hospital, which is already facing operational difficulties.
“This facility has been disconnected from public power for over a year. The management routinely runs the generator for three or four hours daily, ending at about 1.00 p.m. Mind you, whenever the generator goes off, that is the end of the day’s business for all the resident doctors. It is the norm here. Doctors can go home, but what of the nurses and patients on admission?
“I said this is a setback because this is a hospital that is seriously struggling to cope with what we used to be known for. The patients are paying a lot, yet they are complaining about the quality of the environment, care, and the meals on offer.
“The wards, without a regular supply, are not conducive to patient and staff safety.”
The management practically has no resources to do anything. So, how is it to replace the erased department? And we keep complaining that doctors and others are leaving the country; why won’t they leave?” the practitioner lamented.
Source: The Guardian
