By: Murtala Issah
A fire outbreak has destroyed the children’s ward of the Assemblies of God Hospital, at Saboba, displacing children and female patients on admission. The inferno also destroyed critical medical equipment and supplies inuding hospital beds and some electronic gadgets.
According to eyewitness, the blaze, started around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and reduced the ward to ashes, leaving behind extensive damage that hospital authorities say will significantly affect pediatric care delivery in the short term.
An eyewitness who identified himself as Paul, disclosed that, Hospital staff and some community members helped avert tragedy, as all children on admission were evacuated before the fire spread through the structure.
Despite the successful rescue, essential items including hospital beds, mattresses, a television set used in the ward, and personal belongings of patients were lost.
Hospital matron Paul Olamnba, speaking to GBC NEWS, described the incident as a major setback for the facility.
“We lost mattresses, some belongings of patients on admission, the television set for the ward and other items,” he said.
The situation was worsened by the failure of the only fire tender serving the area, which reportedly malfunctioned when it was needed most. With no immediate firefighting support available, residents and hospital staff formed a human chain and used buckets of water and other improvised means to contain the flames.
Their intervention prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining structures of the hospital.
Community members who assisted, described the scene as chaotic but united, with many determined to protect the only major healthcare facility serving the area.
Despite the destruction, management says the hospital has remained operational and has taken emergency steps to ensure continuity of care.
Mr. Olamnba explained that patients from the affected children’s ward have been temporarily relocated to the male ward, which has a 40-bed capacity.
“The male ward is divided into two: we have the medical side and the surgical side. The medical side has twenty beds and the surgical side also has twenty,” he said.
“At the time of the incident, eight people were on admission, so we quickly moved the rest of the patients to the medical side of the ward. At the moment, we have moved all the children to the male ward.”
Hospital administrators say the rearrangement is a temporary measure to ensure no child is denied treatment while plans are made to rebuild the destroyed ward.
The incident has raised concerns among residents about emergency preparedness and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the area, particularly the lack of a functional firefighting system.
The hospital serves as a key referral center for surrounding communities, making the loss of its pediatric ward a significant blow to local healthcare delivery.
Authorities are expected to assess the extent of the damage in the coming days, while appeals are likely to be made to government agencies, faith-based organizations, and donors to support reconstruction and replacement of medical equipment.
For now, hospital officials say their priority remains maintaining services and ensuring that the displaced children continue receiving care without interruption.
