Fire at the Athalassa hospital: Patient in serious condition

An administrative investigation is underway at the Athalassa Hospital, for the fire that started on Thursday afternoon in a ward, while one of the patients, who allegedly set the fire in his room, is being treated for burns and on mechanical support in the Intensive Burn Unit General Hospital of Nicosia, with his condition being serious but stable, the Press Representative of the State Health Services Organization (OKYpY) Haralambos Harilaou told KYPE.

The second patient who was taken to TAEP with respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation has received first aid and has been discharged. The same applies to three nurses, who broke the balcony door to extricate the patient from the room.

As Mr. Harilaou mentioned, the patients of this ward, who are around 25, were accommodated in the ward that managed the COVID cases – which do not exist today – and some others in the remaining other wards.

"Our effort is to do the restoration work of the room and the ward as soon as possible so that the patients can go back," he said.

In response to a question, Mr. Harilaou stated that "from what appears from the preliminary investigation, it is the patient himself who started the fire".

From the first moment, he continued, an investigation was ordered by the central administration to clarify the causes of the fire and to ascertain the circumstances under which the incident took place.

"The ward in which the patient was hospitalized is a rehabilitation ward, that is, people who are in the final stage are hospitalized in order to be discharged and return home. These people go out into the yard and for a few hours they can use matches and lighters to light cigarettes," he said.

"It is a process that concerns us, it is a sensitive issue that also has to do with human rights, we will look at it and where we can make more improvements we will do so," he added.

Source: KYPE