A fire brigade investigation has found that the fire that destroyed R20 million worth of equipment in a storeroom of the Carletonville Hospital in February this year was caused by arson.
This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
According to a Fire Forensic report, there were traces of an accelerant in between the equipment in the storeroom, which indicates that arson was the cause of the fire.
It was also noted that no member of the public had access to the hospital due to Covid-19 restrictions, which infers that the fire was started by an official within the hospital premises.
The fire destroyed R16.5 million of equipment which was being stored for the Anglo Ashanti Hospital, and R3.8 million PPE for the Carletonville Hospital.
A criminal case of arson has been opened, but police are still investigating and no-one has yet been arrested.
I suspect that the fire could have been caused to cover up corruption concerning the PPE or the equipment meant for the Anglo Ashanti Hospital. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has already made adverse findings on the R500 million spent on renovating the Anglo Ashanti Hospital.
There are indications that the fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital may also have been to destroy the evidence of corruption at the stores.
The enormous losses and disruption of hospital activities because of these fires causes extra suffering to sick patients.
It is vitally important that fire prevention measures are upgraded at all hospitals, and perpetrators of arson should be apprehended and brought to justice.