10-dead-as-massive-fire-engulfs-state-run-hospital-in-cuttack

Ten patients were killed and several others injured on Monday morning after a major fire tore through the trauma care unit of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The blaze, which broke out at approximately 3:00 am, is believed to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit within the Intensive Care Unit's air-conditioning system.

 

The fire broke out on the first floor of the trauma department, soon filling the ward with thick, choking smoke. At the time of the disaster, 23 critically ill patients were being treated in the unit, many of whom were on life support.

 

The Chief Minister of the state, Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited the site of the tragedy immediately after the incident, confirmed that the lives of seven patients were lost at the ward initially due to the fire, while three others died of smoke inhalation during the rescue operations.

 

The operation to rescue the patients was more tragic as hospital staff and fire safety officials had to fight through thick fumes to evacuate the trapped patients. It has been reported that 23 employees of the hospital were hospitalised as they suffered from smoke inhalation and burn injuries while trying to rescue the patients. It took three fire engines three hours to finally control the blaze and secure the site.

 

The Chief Minister of the state, Majhi, has announced an ex-gratia amount of 25 lakh to the families of the deceased. CM Majhi has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident in order to investigate the cause of the fire and whether there was any negligence in the safety measures of the hospital.

 

The SCB Medical College, founded in 1944, is the premier state-funded medical facility in Odisha and a crucial referral point for the whole eastern part of the country. As the investigation begins, this incident has also brought to the fore the issue of fire safety at the oldest medical institutions in the state, particularly in the high-pressure areas of intensive care units.

 

 

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