Paarl Hospital update: Care continues despite fire damage
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, visited Paarl Hospital today following a fire yesterday which led to extensive damage to the hospital’s outpatient department and required an evacuation of the entire facility. She was joined by Councillor Stephen Korabie, the Executive Mayor of Drakenstein.
During her visit to Paarl Hospital today, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, praised staff for their calm, compassionate and highly professional response during the evacuation.
“Our staff were exceptional yesterday. They acted quickly and with great care to evacuate the entire facility and ensure that every patient, returned to their wards once it was safe to do so,” said Minister Wenger. “While the Outpatient Department has sustained significant damage and repairs will take time, I want to reassure the public that Paarl Hospital remains open and operational. Anyone who needs emergency care will be treated.”
She added that some elective procedures may experience delays as teams carefully reorganise services to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
“To speed up the recovery process, additional cleaning teams have been brought in to deep-clean and prepare areas that have already been assessed and declared safe,” said Minister Wenger. “As these assessments continue, more sections of the hospital are being reopened in a phased and carefully managed way.”
“Our teams are working closely together to restore services as quickly and safely as possible,” she said. “While some services will resume within the hospital, others may be temporarily provided from alternative sites to make sure patients continue to receive the care they need while repairs are underway.”
Commenting on the situation, Councillor Stephen Korabie, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein said, “Yesterday’s fire was a masterclass in how communities, government and emergency services should respond in a crisis. I want to thank the outstanding emergency teams who brought order to a chaotic situation with speed and professionalism. Every sphere of government worked together seamlessly, prioritising both the healthcare of patients and the safety of the broader community. This is what it looks like when government truly works for its residents.”
As our team work on finding ways to reestablish services as quickly and safely as possible, we encourage residents to join the Paarl Hospital’s WhatsApp Channel which will continue to provide up to date and accurate information.
Front row from left to right: Councillor Stephen Korabie, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality, Ms Francis Jacobs, Chairperson of Paarl Hospital Board, Mr Francois van der Watt, CEO of Paarl Hospital, Minister, Ms Wendy Kaizer-Philander, MPP DA Western Cape. Back row: from left to right, Mr Wynand Els, Manager: Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services & Mr. Dereck Peceur: Head of Fire and Rescue Services:
Listen to the Soundbite by Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger:
Damage to the outpatient department at Paarl Hospital following a fire:
