A major fire has destroyed several offices and important facilities at the Bamenda Regional Hospital after a blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Tuesday, June 30, causing extensive damage to the hospital's administrative block.
According to hospital sources, the fire spread rapidly through several sections of the building, destroying offices, equipment, furniture, and important documents before it could be brought under control.
Among the areas affected were the multipurpose hall, the ICT office, the statistics unit, the Medical Adviser's office, the General Supervisor's office, the Chaplaincy, the Pharmacy warehouse, the Human Resource office, and other administrative units.
The hospital library and medical statistics section were also affected by the fire, along with offices responsible for human resources and social action services.
Images from the scene showed extensive destruction, including burnt roofing sheets, damaged ceilings, destroyed office equipment, and charred furniture scattered across several rooms.
Hospital officials confirmed that numerous files and administrative records were lost in the incident. Boxes containing free genotype test results stored in some of the affected offices were also completely destroyed by the flames.
As the fire intensified, hospital staff, patient carers, and workers on night duty reportedly forced open the damaged main entrance in an effort to rescue office equipment, documents, and other valuable items before emergency rescue teams arrived at the scene.
Security and rescue personnel, including members of the defence forces, later joined efforts to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the hospital.
Authorities say the intensity of the blaze made firefighting efforts extremely difficult and contributed to the extensive damage recorded.
At the time of filing this report, hospital management was holding an emergency meeting to evaluate the scale of the destruction and discuss immediate response measures.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and investigations have been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Officials have also begun assessing the financial cost of the damage, although they say it is still too early to estimate the total value of the losses incurred.
No deaths or injuries had been reported as of press time.
The fire represents a major setback for one of the principal referral hospitals serving residents of Bamenda and surrounding communities in the North West Region.
Several administrative and support services are expected to face disruptions in the days ahead as authorities begin recovery efforts and work to restore damaged facilities, replace equipment, and secure surviving records.
Hospital authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations continue and rehabilitation plans are developed.
Photocredit: Alphonse Tebeck
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