Officials in Qassim have said that the Mental Health Hospital which witnessed a fatal fire in one of its wards eight days ago was fully equipped with the required safety facilities and that fire drills had been conducted in accordance with fire codes. “The hospital was prepared to deal with all manners of emergency situations, including fires,” said the spokesman for Qassim Health Directorate, Mohammed Al-Dabassi. Al-Dabassi categorically denied reports that ward doors were locked when the fire broke out at around 6 A.M. last Thursday morning, trapping patients and nurses inside the ward and also allegations that nursing staff were asleep at the time of the blaze. “The security guards and other staff present at the time did their best to contain the fire and save trapped patients and nurses, and other nurses were performing their duties at the time as required,” Al-Dabassi said. The fire, which killed three members of the nursing staff and three patients, also led to the escape of two patients, one of whom was returned earlier in the week. No official statement has yet been made on the cause of the fire.
