The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) emergency room will be temporarily closed and no admission will be accommodated on Sunday, May 16, after a fire hit the state-run facility.

"Ang amin pong pakiusap muna ngayon, sarado ang PGH ng pag-admit ng kahit ano. Sarado ang ER ng PGH starting today. Marami po kaming pasyente na nilagay muna namin sa emergency room (We are appealing to the public, PGH is closed for admission today. We transferred a lot of patients in the emergency room)," PGH Spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario said in an interview with DZBB.

Del Rosario added that some patients, particularly infant and pediatric patients, were transferred to other hospitals.

"Nilabas namin. Yung iba nasa chapel, nasa driveway, nasa quadrangle ng PGH, nasa corridor. Yung mga sanggol, bagong panganak syempre kailangan sila nasa nursery, inilipat namin yung labindalawang babies sa Sta. Ana Hospital tapos meron po kaming ilang pediatric patients na nailipat na rin sa private hospitals (We evacuated them. Some are in the chapel, in the quadrangle of the PGH, in the corridor. The newborns were brought to Sta. Ana Hospital. We also have pediatric patients who have also been transferred to private hospitals)," he said.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients admitted in the Central Block that were affected by the fire were either transferred to the charity ward or were brought to the emergency room in the OB admitting section.

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Del Rosario said the blaze started in the operating room sterilization area (ORSA), which is adjacent to the operating rooms.

Fortunately, the operating rooms of the hospital were spared from the fire.

The Bureau of Fire Protection said the fire was declared under control at 2:46 a.m. and was put out at 5:41 a.m.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.