"Despite this fire, the SRS is able to respond to all the problems that exist and to all the patients who are currently being evacuated from the hospital. There is capacity to respond to them. This is planned," said Luís Garcia.

The president of the Azorean parliament spoke to journalists after visiting the Hospital Divino Espírito Santo (HDES), in Ponta Delgada, where a fire broke out this morning.

The fire in the largest health unit in the Azores forced the closure of the Emergency Department, Delivery Room and Operating Room, the evacuation of all patients and affected the electrical system of the infrastructure.

Luís Garcia said that the damage is being "overcome with the possible normality" and said he expects the Azorean executive to be committed to the recovery of the building.

"The competent entities and the Regional Government will quickly commit to recovering all the infrastructures that are affected in this hospital. It is an essential hospital for the Autonomous Region of the Azores," he reinforced.

The president of the Regional Assembly also left a "word of hope and confidence to all the people on the island of São Miguel"

"There is no need for any drama. We have the installed capacity to respond to any event that occurs beyond this transfer of patients," he said.

Due to the fire, all patients admitted to the Ponta Delgada Hospital have been transferred during the afternoon. At 4:30 pm, the process was still ongoing, according to a source from the hospital's communication office.

Critically and severely ill patients were transferred to the CUF hospital, in the city of Lagoa, and the others to health centers.

At 4:00 pm, the president of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, arrived at HDES for a meeting with the administration and with those responsible for Civil Protection.

The fire, whose first alert was given at 9:40 am local time (10:40 am in Lisbon), was confined at 3:00 pm local time.

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