Dental clinic destroyed in fire at Tambo Memorial Hospital

09 July 2016 - 16:19
By Penwell Dlamini
DENTAL PROCEDURE: Oral hygiene can take on a cosmetic component with some people wishing to whiten their teeth or straighten naturally crooked teeth 
      photos: istock
DENTAL PROCEDURE: Oral hygiene can take on a cosmetic component with some people wishing to whiten their teeth or straighten naturally crooked teeth photos: istock

Dental services at the Tambo Memorial Regional Hospital in Boksburg have been suspended after a fire destroyed the dental clinic on Friday night.

The fire was spotted about 8.30pm at the dental clinic situated on the ground floor next to the hospital’s main entrance.

“Fortunately‚ no patient was affected by the said fire which was successfully extinguished by the hospital employees. The evacuation lasted for about an hour.

“Three rooms were affected‚ and as such all dental equipment‚ materials and consumables were destroyed. The monetary value (of the damage) is still to be determined. The structural damage assessment has commenced‚” said Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Steve Mabona.

Mabona said preliminary investigations revealed that the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault. The Fire department was continuing to investigate the cause.

Unfortunately‚ the hospital would no longer render any dental services until further notice and patients would be referred to the nearest service points‚ he said