A nurses' home at Ncora Clinic in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape was set ablaze on Sunday, destroying the staffroom, tea room and medicine storeroom.

Although healthcare workers' belongings went up in smoke, there were no injuries.

Unfortunately, the healthcare workers lost their uniforms, food and personal belongings which include ID documents, driving licences, furniture, wallets and money in the fire that mysteriously engulfed the building.

Although a team of senior officials in the district visited the scene on Monday, the cost of the damage is not yet clear. The extent awaits to be quantified, according to the spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Health MEC, Mkhululi Ndamase.

"Among temporary measures, the department is looking at procuring park homes to accommodate the affected workers, store medicines and use as a tea lounge," Ndamase said.

Ndamase said MEC for health Nomakhosazana Meth was saddened by the incident.

"She sympathises with the affected workers and the department is working towards organising counselling to help them deal with the ordeal.

"We also want to appeal to the community as there might be a shortage of medicine as large quantities were destroyed," Ndamase said.

"The medicines that were burned had just arrived last week from the depot, so more medicine will be replenished to ensure that our people don't default on their treatment."

Although a statement released by the Eastern Cape department said that the mysterious fire is under police investigation, the police have not been able to confirm this. EC SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana was not available for comment.