A major fire broke out late night in the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack city of Odisha. The accident occurred around 3 am on Monday morning, when a fire suddenly broke out in the Trauma Care Emergency Department on the first floor of the hospital. There was chaos among the patients admitted in the hospital. According to officials, 10 patients died in this accident. Some of them died of suffocation in the ICU itself, while some died while on shift. The condition of 5 patients still remains very serious. Hospital staff have also suffered some injuries, but their number is not yet confirmed.
Huge loss to many patients admitted in hospital
As soon as the fire broke out, the hospital staff and fire brigade took immediate action. The hospital’s own fire department responded first and three fire tenders from outside also quickly reached the spot. Rapid action was taken to control the fire, but many patients suffered huge losses due to smoke and fire. Critical patients admitted in ICU were immediately evacuated. Patients in critical condition were shifted to the New Medicine ICU of the hospital.
Odisha Chief Minister, Collector reached the spot
After the incident, Health Secretary, Cuttack District Collector and DCP reached the spot. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also reached the hospital. He went to the New Medicine Building to meet the victims and take stock of the situation. Odisha CMO said, ‘Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the tragic incident of fire in the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital. The Chief Minister visited the incident site and took stock of the situation. The Chief Minister ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and directed officials to immediately shift the affected patients to safe places and continue their treatment without any interruption. Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, the Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for the next of kin of each deceased person.
The Chief Minister also met the patients undergoing treatment and their relatives and assured them of full help. He also directed the health department and hospital officials to ensure the best medical care for all injured and affected patients.
This is a big tragedy in a big government hospital like SCB Medical College. People are raising questions on the safety standards in hospitals. Investigation has started to find out how the fire broke out and whether there was any negligence.
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