Cebu City hospital closed after fire

CEBU CITY—One of the top tertiary hospitals here has shut its doors temporarily after fire hit its basement on Tuesday.

More than 200 patients of Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital (CDUH) were transferred to different hospitals in the city during the closure period which would allow a cleanup operation and safety checks.

Oscar Tuazon, hospital administrator, said all electrical connections at CDUH are being checked before power supply is restored.

While power was expected to be back Wednesday, the cleanup operation has yet to be completed, said Tuazon.

Tuazon said operations of CDUH’s emergency room would resume on Monday. There is no date set yet for full operations of the hospital.

Operations at the outpatient department remain normal.

Fire of still unknown origin broke out from the laundry and linen department at the CDUH basement past 8 p.m. on Tuesday, said fire investigator SFO2 Leo Magallon of the Cebu City Fire Department.

The fire, he added, spread to the room housing a generator set which also kept drums of fuel.

More than 200 patients had to be moved out of CDUH and taken to other hospitals during the fire.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City disaster risk reduction and management council, said more than 30 ambulances helped in transporting the patients. “All the patients are okay,” he said.

Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrrazabal III, son of CDUH owner Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal Jr., apologized to patients and their families for the inconvenience.

“We thank God no one was hurt during the process of evacuation,” Larrazabal said in his Facebook account. With a report from Doris C. Bongcac and Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas