Vital documents, computers and furniture worth millions of shillings at Lira regional hospital were destroyed in Monday evening fire that gutted the administration block.

The fire is said to have started in the accountant’s office on the last floor of the two storied building at around 6:30pm on Monday. John Jennifer Omara, an eye witness, says he saw dark smoke and accompanied by huge flames from the accountant’s office.

None of the office occupants was around when the fire broke out. It took the intervention of the Police Fire Brigade team located just about 1000 meters away to stop the fire from destroying the entire building.

Several patients in wards and their caretakers scampered for their lives and dashed for the main gate fearing that the fire could spread to the wards. They only returned after police put out the fire.

Some of the destroyed documents

Robert Abak, the Lira resident district commissioner, says it is too early to speculate on the cause of the fire but doesn’t rule out rule out foul play.

He has directed Police to open investigations into the incident. Abak has also directed Police to recover all the documents rescued from the building and those that were partially destroyed for safe custody until investigations are completed.

Abak wondered why the fire broke out in a key office on the very same day a team from the ministry of Health led by the minister, Jane Aceng Ocero was expected to visit the hospital on a fact-finding mission.

The minister is touring health facilities in Lango sub region but majorly focusing on Lira district. Aceng was expected to tour Lira hospital on Monday evening but she was still caught up in the meningitis immunization exercise by the time the fire started.

She has rescheduled to visit the hospital this morning. URN has learnt that the minister was prompted to schedule a visit to Lira hospital because of several complaints from patients and whistle blowers implicating the hospital administrators in corruption, nepotism and abuse of office. 

Other allegations include lack of basic drugs and other medical supplies like syringes and cotton wool among others. 
 
The hospital authorities have declined to comment on the fire. This is the third fire incident involving a major health facility in the country since this year begun. On January 08, fire gutted part of the ministry of Health building in Wandegeya in Kampala burning key documents.

Just a week after, fire broke out at Anaka hospital in Nwoya district burning used office equipment worth over Shs 50 million, which was due for disposal. Investigations into both incidents are still ongoing.