The swift action of firefighters on Monday prevented a sterilization unit at the América Arias Maternity Hospital in Havana from catching fire after the equipment overheated on the facility's second floor.
The incident was reported by Roilán Rodríguez Barbán, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality. He emphasized that the intervention allowed for ventilation of the area, stopping the smoke from spreading to other parts of the hospital.
"Our firefighters' quick response prevented the sterilization equipment from catching fire on the second floor of 'América Arias' Maternity Hospital, allowing timely ventilation and stopping the smoke from spreading due to the overheating," Rodríguez Barbán stated.
The official also mentioned that authorities from the Plaza de la Revolución Defense Council and the La Rampa Zone responded immediately to the healthcare facility.
The report did not specify what caused the overheating, nor did it mention any damage to the equipment. There were no reports of injuries, evacuations, or disruptions to hospital services, indicating that the situation was managed without significant consequences.
This incident comes just over a week after a fire impacted areas of the Arnaldo Milián Castro Provincial Clinical Surgical Hospital in Santa Clara.
The blaze was put out before spreading to other parts of the hospital, with no reported fatalities or injuries.
In a related incident in August in Camagüey, a drying oven in the Central Sterilization Unit of the Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital caught fire.
The report at that time suggested that a thermostat failure prevented the equipment from shutting off, and the flames initially had to be tackled with dirt due to the absence of a nearby extinguisher.
In that incident, no human injuries were reported, although the smoke and a simultaneous false seismic alarm received on mobile phones caused confusion among hospital staff and visitors.
Key Questions About Recent Hospital Fire Incidents in Cuba
What caused the overheating of the sterilization equipment in Havana?
The specific cause of the overheating was not detailed in the reports. It remains unclear what led to the equipment malfunction.
Were there any injuries or evacuations due to the incident?
No injuries or evacuations were reported following the incident at América Arias Maternity Hospital.
How was the fire at the Santa Clara hospital managed?
The fire was extinguished before it could spread to other areas of the Arnaldo Milián Castro Hospital, with no casualties or injuries reported.