The Health Ministry says the fire at the Lautoka Hospital yesterday is believed to have started in the old operating theatre.

Services at the General Outpatient Department, Special Outpatient Department and X‑ray department at the hospital have been temporarily suspended.

The Ministry confirms that no patients or staff were injured and no treatment was adversely affected by the fire.

The NFA is currently carrying out investigations to determine the cause of the fire.

Minister for Health and Medical Services, Rosy Akbar says some of the departments at the Lautoka Hospital are still open however some of the services will be provided by the nearby health centres.

The services can be accessed at Kamikamica Health Centre located in Kashmir, Lautoka and Punjas Health Centre which is located in Waiyavi near Lautoka and arrangements have been made for these health facilities to extend their opening hours until 10pm with the deployment of General Outpatient Department nurses and doctors to assist with the patient flow.

Akbar has also advised people who can access the Nadi Hospital and the Ba Mission Hospital to do so.

She says until the Lautoka Hospital re-opens, emergency cases will be airlifted to CWM Hospital.

Akbar has also thanked the public for their assistance in evacuating the 157 in-patients to safety yesterday.