A patient at an Australian hospital was left with horrific burns after a fire broke out in the building while he was undergoing surgery.
The incident took place on Tuesday (February 14) at St John of God Subiaco Hospital in Perth, Australia.
As per 7News, it is understood that the patient was undergoing a routine skin operation when a fire broke out in the room.
A full investigation has been launched into how the fire started, with the current cause of what set the room ablaze currently unknown.
Due to privacy laws, specific details of the incident are being withheld but it was confirmed that the patient is being treated in a severe burns unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital, per the Daily Mail.
The patient is reported to be in a critical but stable condition and it is currently unknown whether anybody else was injured in the blaze.
Despite not revealing many details about the fire, St John of God Subiaco Hospital acting chief executive Jenny Brenton discussed how it was a "serious incident" that resulted in an "adverse outcome for a patient."
"St John of God Subiaco Hospital has confirmed that a serious incident occurred at the hospital on 14 February which has resulted in an adverse outcome for a patient. The patient has been transferred to a tertiary hospital for specialist care," Brenton said.
"We advised the patient’s family of the situation immediately following the incident and we recognize this is a difficult time for them.
"We have commenced a full investigation and analysis to determine the cause. We will continue to keep the patient and family informed as this progresses. We are unable to comment any further about the circumstances and details due to privacy laws."
A Western Australian Health Department spokesperson explained that patient safety was of paramount importance while acknowledging that this is a distressing time for both the patient and their family.
The spokesperson, via WA Today, said: "Patient safety is at the forefront of high-quality healthcare and the reason for the WA health system’s clear focus on reporting incidents.
"WA Health is committed to improving patient safety by reviewing reported incidents and developing clinical strategies to prevent these occurring in the future.
"A hospital would have seven working days in which to notify the Department about a reportable incident."
