Losses from Chimoio fire put at 200 million meticais – AIM Report

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Losses from Chimoio fire put at 200 million meticais – AIM Report

6:51 CAT | 25 Aug 2017

TVM

The Mozambican health authorities estimate at 200 million meticais (about 3.3 million US dollars) the losses caused by the fire which destroyed the Manica provincial medical stores in the central city of Chimoio on 17 August.

Speaking at a Chimoio press conference on Friday, the Manica provincial chief doctor, Firmino Jaqueta said that most of the medicines stored in the warehouse had been devoured by the flames. Of the total losses, 160 million meticais is the estimated cost of the essential medicines that were destroyed. The other 40 million meticais refers to medical and surgical equipment lost in the blaze.

This estimate of losses does not include the building itself, nor the non-medical materials that were ruined in the fire.

The medicines lost had been supplied recently. “When the fire broke out, we had just received medicines for six months. All was lost”, said Jaqueta.”What we now have are stocks for just two months, The fire occurred after we had distributed these medicines to the districts. So we still have something, and the public is being cared for normally”.

“We received anti-malarials, painkillers and other drugs”, he added. “The districts that require more can send in their requests because the medicines are arriving”.

Jaqueta said that after the fire a provisional warehouse was identified where some medicines sent from Beira and Maputo are now being stored. “Some trucks have already arrived, and have been unloaded, while others are on their way”, he said.

As for the causes of the fire, investigations are still under way. “So far we think it was caused by a short-circut”, said Jaqueta. “But investigations have been taking place since the first day to see how all this happened. If it was found that a criminal hand was involved, then measures will be taken against those responsible”.

Source: AIM