The administration of the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo decided yesterday to completely evacuate the hospital due to the huge waves of smoke that resulted from the fire that broke out at the electricity transformer station, where large flames of fire appeared for a moment.
It was decided to turn off the hospital’s electricity and air conditioning and remove all the patients. Initially, only ventilated patients were evacuated to the CUF hospital, but the Board of Directors decided to evacuate the entire hospital at the end of the morning.
At the same time, the Ponta Delgada Volunteer Fire Brigade controlled the fire after huge flames came out of the electricity transformer station. Patients were evacuated through the main door and an area close to the Emergency Department. At the same time, as far as Correio dos Açores could tell, large mobile transformer stations were already being set up as a first step towards a return to normality at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo. Normality is not expected for another week or so.
The fire broke out in an electrical panel at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday, May 4th, amidst many flammable materials and wires, making the Ponta Delgada Volunteer Fire Brigade’s initial action difficult.
Throughout the fight against the fire, which caused four minor injuries among the firefighters, the “soldiers of peace” were determined, committed, and even effective enough to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible. All with the support, on the ground, of the command and the President of the Humanitarian Association himself, João Paulo Medeiros.

The island evacuated a hospital.

For safety’s sake, dozens of patients, especially from hospital services close to the smoke waves, began to be placed outside the hospital.
When the decision was made to completely evacuate the hospital, the appeal launched by HDES was heard across the island, and ambulances and buses appeared from all the health centers, fire stations, and town halls in all the municipalities of São Miguel to evacuate the patients, all accompanied by nurses and medical staff.
In particular, the São Miguel Health Unit, CUF Hospital, the Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca health centers, and the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Ponta Delgada received patients yesterday in an operation that occurred all afternoon.
The administration of the Ponta Delgada Hospital guarantees that all patients leave the hospital with maximum safety in terms of the care provided by teams of nurses and doctors who spread out wherever the patients are placed.
This was confirmed in the latest statement from the hospital administration, to which Correio dos Açores had access: “The evacuation took place with medical and nursing supervision to ensure the patient’s health.”
The hospital also said in this statement that patients who “from now on need urgent care should go to the CUF Emergency Department. And for patients with emergent care and less urgent situations, they should go to the emergency units of the island’s health centers”.

The President of the Government accompanied firefighting and evacuation

The President of the Government of the Azores assured that the authorities are “doing everything” to minimize the damage caused by the “dramatic” fire at the Ponta Delgada hospital, warning of the “urgent need” to renovate the health units.
“The situation is regrettable. It’s dramatic. But we’re all doing everything we can to minimize the damage,” said José Manuel Bolieiro in the special RTP/Azores broadcast dedicated to the fire that broke out at HDES.
The fire in the largest health unit in the Azores forced the transfer of ventilated patients to a private health unit and the closure of the emergency room, a hospital source told Lusa.
The President of the Azorean Executive confirmed that the fire originated in an electrical panel and warned of the need to renew the Regional Health Service (SRS) equipment.
“We need to understand in the political sphere the importance of looking at the situation over all these years of our equipment and facilities in order to have a robust investment to rehabilitate and innovate, as well as mobilizing and expanding health facilities throughout the SRS,” he stressed.
He added: “It’s an emergency. We don’t have the means. I will also be sure to alert the Government of the Republic and the Prime Minister to this pressing need.”
José Manuel Bolieiro expressed gratitude and pride in all the health professionals who “activated the means with maximum promptness” and assured that “everything is being taken care of” to guarantee a “return to normality.”
The regional leader admitted to chartering an airplane if it becomes necessary to move patients and thanked all the professionals involved in fighting the flames for their work.

This news story from João Paz, journalist for the Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.

Here are some live images from the YouTube channel PDL-Azores