20 killed as fire breaks out at Odisha hospital

More than 100 people were injured, many of them seriously in the fire.

October 17, 2016 10:45 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:11 pm IST -

At least 20 persons were killed and 120 others injured when a major fire broke out at SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar on Monday evening.

While 14 patients were received “brought dead” at the Capital Hospital, eight were “brought dead” to AMRI Hospital from the fire-struck private medical facility, officials said.

The Capital Hospital superintendent Binod Kumar Mishra said, “We have received 14 dead bodies, while five other patients have been shifted from Sum Hospital.”

Meanwhile, AMRI Hospital (Bhubaneswar) unit head Salil Kumar Mohanty said, “A total of 37 patients were received at our casualty ward. Our doctors have declared eight persons as brought dead.”

“Most of the victims were in the first floor ICU of the ill-fated SUM Hospital,” a doctor at the Capital Hospital said.

Conditions of most patients shifted to different hospitals across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack following Monday’s fire mishap in SUM Hospital were stated to be steady even as one person succumbed at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning.

After through verification of deaths, the death-toll was put at 19 by Odisha government on late Monday night.

Patnaik visits hospital

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and AMRI Hospital in the morning, said patients were recovering well. As many as 105 patients were getting intensive care treatment at nine different hospitals.

According to sources, the tragedy occurred due to suffocation as the smoke spread in most of the wards soon after the fire. Most of victims, who were on oxygen support, died.

The fire was first spotted in dialysis unit in the first floor of the hospital. Subsequently, hospital staff tried to douse the fire with two fire extinguishers for nearly twenty minutes.. SInce the situation was not able to control, fire services personnel were called in. During the process, they lost critical time for fire fighting.

The smoke started spreading to different parts of the hospital through ducts of air conditioning and false ceiling.

Attendants of patients blames the hospital authorities for lack of communication in the evacuation process.

“Till last minute, we were assured that fires would be brought under control and there was no need to shift out of the ward. But when smokes became suffocating, hospital staff fled the spot. We were left to evacuate our near and dear ones on our own,” said Bibhuti Bhushan Sahoo, who agonisingly moved his brother suffering from cancer down from fourth floor to vacant place in front of the hospital. His brother Dipak Ranjan Sahoo was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar after 30 minutes of wait for ambulance.

State Health Secretary Aarti Ahuja, who took stock of the situation, said dialysis, medicine and emergency wards had been sealed and the probe would immediately begin.

Meanwhile, Binay Behera, Director General of Police (Fire Service) said a review meeting would be taken to ascertain if the hospital authorities had put fire safety measures in place.

“Orissa High Court has recently given an order to open fire safety units in every government hospitals and staffs would have to undergo training to meet eventuality in the event of tragedy. We will ascertain if hospital authorities had trained staff about fire fighting skills, which is very important for saving critical time before fire brigades are pressed into service,” said Mr. Behera

On Monday, voicing “serious” concern over the fire incident at the SUM Hospital, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described the mishap as “very tragic“.

Mr. Patnaik has also ordered an inquiry heade by a revenue divisional commissioner into the incident.

“We have kept doctors on alert in both government and private hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. We have appealed to every hospital to receive serious patients coming from SUM Hospital,” said Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister.

Mr. Nayak said the State government had already ordered a probe into the circumstances under which the fire broke out.

As per initial reports, short-circuit was believed to have caused fire.

More than 100 patients and their attendants were injured due to fire. Some people were found to have sustained burn injuries.

“In an attempt to prevent suffocation from causing further damage, glass windows were immediately shattered by our volunteers and medical staff to make way for fresh air. Besides, critical patients were promptly evacuated,” Paresh Das, director of public relations of SOA University, told The Hindu.

Eyewitnesses said attendants were seen jumping from the first floors by breaking glass windows. Dozens of ambulances were mobilised to shift patients to hospitals across Bhubaneswar. Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force has been deployed at different places to facilitate smooth transfer of patients to different hospitals.

All necessary support is being given to Odisha: Nadda

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Monday said the Centre is providing all necessary support to Odisha where more than 20 patients died and several were injured in a fire that broke out at the Sum Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

Dr. Nadda said that he has already spoken to the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar and asked it to provide all necessary help to the patients.

“Deeply saddened by the fire incident in Inst. of Medi Sciences & SUM hospital Bhubaneswar. My condolences rest with the bereaved families.

“I have spoken to Director, AIIMS Bhubaneswar to provide all necessary support and help the patients in the best way possible,” Dr. Nadda tweeted after the incident.

He said that the Union Health secretary C.K. Mishra has already spoken to Odisha Health department officials and was in “constant touch” with them.

“Union Health Secretary has spoken to the Principal Secy Health, Orissa. Officials of @MoHFW_INDIA are in constant touch with state officials,” he said in his tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced “deep anguish” at the loss of lives in a massive blaze at a hospital in Bhubaneshwar, calling it “mind-numbing“.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

“Spoke to Minister @JPNadda (Health Minister) & asked him to facilitate transfer of all those injured to AIIMS. Hope the injured recover quickly.

“Also spoken to Minister @dpradhanbjp and asked him to ensure all possible help to the injured and affected,” he said in a series of tweets.

(With PTI inputs)

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