Fire at HSA an unforgettable tragedy, say witnesses
JOHOR BARU: For several patients at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) here, the chaos and thick smoke that filled its Neurology Ward after a fire broke out at the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) this morning was a terryfying moment that they would never forget.
Although it was rather chaotic initially, the situation was later under control following the swift actions and clear instructions given by the nurses and other staff at the ward for the patients, which led to a smooth evacuation process.
For N. Jatish, 28, he could not believe the incident occurred on his last day at the hospital after spending five days at the Neurology Ward, located on third floor of the building, for kidney stones treatment.
He was waiting with his family members for his discharge letter when he saw thick smoke filled the ceiling.
"It was rather chaotic and panicky at that time. Then, there were instructions telling us (the patients) to go down the stairs and use the face mask before we were taken to a safe zone," he told Bernama at the hospital's temporary room located at Block A (Anggerik).
Jatish said he managed to help an elderly patient next to his bed before they took the staircase together to evacuate the building.
Meanwhile, Muhadzir Lewon, 39, said he was waiting for his turn to be called for a haemodialysis treatment at the same ward when the incident took place.
"I was in a dedicated room as a preparation to undergo my daily dialysis treatment due to my kidney problem. However, I found it weird when no nurses or other staff came to attend to me. So, I walked out to check," said the civil servant.
As soon as he walked out the room, Muhadzir found that the ward was in darkness and filled with smoke.
"It was then I was instructed to don the face mask and told to evacuate using the staircase by the nurses on duty before I was led to a safe area," he said.
In the 8.56am incident, the fire resulted in the deaths of six patients at the ICU comprising four women and two men. They were among the seven patients in the ICU.
Another patient was rescued by firefighters and was now being treated at the hospital.
Two HSA staff were sent to Sultan Ismail Hospital, while another staff is still receiving treatment at HSA due to smoke inhalation. — Bernama