Sally Mugabe Hospital operations unaffected by fire incident

The government has confirmed that no major damage was sustained at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital following a fire that broke out on Saturday, affecting a storeroom and solar power infrastructure.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora made the announcement during a site visit to the hospital on Sunday, where he assessed the aftermath of the incident.

The fire, which occurred in a storeroom, destroyed old hospital records and bedding materials that were awaiting transfer to the archives and disposal, respectively. In addition, ten solar panels installed on the roof, along with an inverter and battery system supplying power to the laboratory, were also destroyed.

"We have since established the fire destroyed old hospital records that were waiting to be transferred to the archives storage facility, and hospital beds and old mattresses that were also supposed to be disposed," Dr. Mombeshora said.

"We have not yet found the cause of the fire, but solar panels that were installed up the roof were destroyed as they supplied power to the laboratory below. However, they have not affected operations and power supply at the hospital," he added.

Authorities said an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

Sally Mugabe Hospital, formerly Harare Central Hospital, is one of Zimbabwe's largest referral medical institutions, serving patients from the capital and across the country.

Despite the incident, hospital operations remain unaffected, and services continue to be offered as normal.