Three people have sustained moderate injuries following an unprecedented air explosion in the radiology unit of Polokwane Provincial Hospital in Limpopo on Tuesday.
The injured included two hospital employees and a technician from a private service provider.
Sunday World understands that the explosion occurred when the three were decommissioning a magnetic resonance imaging scan.
The incident has left parts of the radiology wing at the hospital damaged. This has led to health authorities recommending a temporary closure of the affected section.
Stop-gap measures
Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego said the department was still calculating the estimated costs caused by the explosion.
After visiting the hospital, Mashego confirmed that there was indeed an explosion, insisting that it was an accidental flare-up.
“The explosion happened when our service provider was busy decommissioning the MRI machine,” said Mashego.
“When they were decommissioning the apparatus, it involved releasing excessive pressure from the machine so that it could be shut down.
“So, while the technician from the private company that we are using was busy with the execution of his duty, the unfortunate incident happened.”
Mashego confirmed that there were no fatalities reported following the accident.
She said the department has put measures in place to ensure that patients who rely on the health facility for radiology are not left stranded.
“We have a mobile X-ray unit in the hospital precinct, which will operate as a stop-gap measure. We have since made arrangements for referrals to the nearby Seshego and Mankweng hospitals.”
Staff and patients traumatised
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa in the province said the explosion would affect services at the hospital in various ways.
The health labour union’s provincial chairman, Lesiba Monyaki, said the explosion has left patients and employees shell-shocked.
“We cannot confirm whether this incident was due to incompetency or just a human error,” said Monyaki.
“However, it is unfortunate that this case has negatively affected patients who visited the hospital to receive healthcare, only to return to their homes traumatised.
“Under normal circumstances, when machines like the one that just exploded, people hardly notice that there are devices in the hospital precinct that are being replaced.
“As the nursing union, this latest incident that occurred at the Polokwane Provincial Hospital does not sit well with us because, as nurses, our primary responsibility is to ensure the health and wellbeing of the patients.
“This private service provider should also be probed, whether he was a credible technician or it was just an unforeseen accident.”
