The Western Cape Department of Health has confirmed that the Knysna Hospital evacuated all of it's 82 patients to alternative sites on Wednesday night as a safety precaution.
The Department's Deputy Director of Communications, Mark van der Heever, said patients in critical condition and who need to be connected to machines had been transferred to Life Hospital and Advanced Hospital.
He said patients who were not in serious condition were transferred to a church hall near the hospital, with staff dispatched to attend to them.
Van der Heever said although the hospital was not yet affected by the fire the priority was to ensure the safety of all the patients and staff members.
He said the Western Cape Department of Health had also received various reports of people being treated for smoke inhalation at local clinics.
"At this point the hospital is not yet affected by the fire or infrastructure damaged too due to the fire but as a safety precaution we did evacuate those patients and we are also attending to them in their alternative site. We do ask our public if they have any queries to contact the central number provided and they will be gladly assisted" he said.
Van Der Heever said that the Department has also set up a central number where family members of patient's can call to find out which site their relatives were transferred to
That number is 062 202 33 87.
Picture supplied by Knysna fires 7th June
