The fire that broke out on Saturday morning at the Ponta Delgada Hospital in the Azores was declared "extinguished" at 4:11 pm on the same day. However, following the incident, nine firefighters were injured and over 200 patients had to be transferred to other local health units.

"We regret that nine firefighters suffered minor injuries - burns and smoke inhalation, but the situation is now under control," said Rui Andrade, president of the Regional Civil Protection Service, in statements to journalists.

In addition, "over 200 patients were transferred to other health units this afternoon," he added at the time.

The fire, which did not cause any casualties, also compromised the health unit, with no forecast as to when the situation will be normalized.

The president of the Board of Directors of HDES, Manuela Menezes, said this Saturday that it is "too early" to give a forecast for the resumption of activity in that health unit, but guaranteed that normality will be restored "as soon as possible".

"We are still evacuating [the facilities] (...) We are still carrying out an inspection, we still have to reach the critical area of the fire, to then have this notion, whether it is days or weeks," said the official.

Patients who were in the delivery room and those who were in neonatology, pediatrics, the emergency room and the intensive care unit were transferred to the CUF hospital in Lagoa, in São Miguel.

Patients were also transferred to health centers, to the Casa de Saúde de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and to the Clínica do Bom Jesus. With the help of the Army, equipment was transported to both CUF and health centers.

Telephone line will provide information on transferred patients

Taking into account the transfer of patients, the Regional Health Directorate (DRS) of the Azores created a telephone line to provide information to family members of patients admitted to the Ponta Delgada Hospital.

The fire affected a technical area of an electrical panel located on the 1st floor.

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