Medical equipment, drugs worth UGX7 Billion lost in JMS Warehouse Fire

Medical equipment and drugs worth 7 Billion Shillings have been destroyed in a fire that gutted the Joint Medical Stores warehouses.

Fire gutted warehouses belonging to Madhvani Group of Companies located at the 5th Street Industrial Area on Friday afternoon and these belonged to Joint Medical Stores, Star Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Mi-Tech Electronics.

The other warehouses were being used by Keshwala Group Distributors, Sawan Distributors and AJP Printing Services among others. 

It is believed that the fire started from a neighbouring warehouse where some people were welding.

Bildard Baguma the Executive Director Joint Medical Stores says they lost a lot of equipment including ICU beds and medicines. However, Baguma says they are yet to establish the specific figures but explains that it could go up to 7 billion worth of equipment and medicines lost in the fire.   

According to Joseph Mugisa the Director of Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, they struggled to access warehouses as there was no space left for the fire brigade to put off the fire.