A fire outbreak occurred at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Sunday at approximately 8:10 a.m. The incident, according to the hospital’s management, was caused by a spark at a changeover box in the medicine laboratory located on the third floor.
The hospital, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Funmi Adetuyibi, clarified that many of the images of the fire circulating on social media are not from UCH. The statement emphasized that the fire was contained within the changeover panel in one of the laboratory rooms and was swiftly extinguished by the hospital’s staff.
“Most of the pictures of the fire outbreak being spread around are NOT pictures of the University College Hospital, Ibadan,” the statement read, reassuring the public that no major damage was sustained.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Jesse Otegbayo, stated that measures have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Recurring Fire Incidents at UCH
This fire marks another in a series of incidents at the hospital. In August 2023, a fire broke out at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), leading to an asthmatic staff member suffering an attack due to the fumes. The worker was rushed to the emergency unit for immediate medical attention.
Additionally, in April 2023, a fire gutted one of the hospital’s residential blocks. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Hospital officials revealed that occupants had detected the smell of burning wire over 48 hours before the ICU fire incident.
