Harare Hospital kitchen in flames

Harare Central Hospital has appealed to the city authorities for uninterrupted water supplies for their boiler to power steam pots after a fire gutted part of the hospital's kitchen that uses electricity on Sunday.

The fire, which was discovered by a security guard just after 12 mid night gutted the electrical side of the kitchen.
Prior to the fire, the kitchen was relying on both steam and electricity for cooking.

Director of operations Mr Peter Gwata said due to the damage caused by the fire, the hospital was no longer able to cater for the patients as well as members of staff.

"At the moment, we are no longer providing food for our staff because we have to use steam pots to cook and these are not adequate in providing food for both patients and staff," he said.

"We need a lot of water for our boiler when we use steam pots, but it then becomes a problem when we have no water because we will not be able to cook for the patients as well.

"We have sent a request to the city council for uninterrupted water supply until the building is fixed."
Mr Gwata said the failure by the hospital's kitchen to provide food for members of staff saw them going outside the hospital premises to look for food.

The property destroyed by the fire included two cold rooms, four electric pots, one industrial electric stove, one conventional stove, two back-up chest freezers, one dough mixer and bread slicers.

The fire also destroyed the catering manager's office.