Bhubneshwar (Odisha): It is indeed a sad state of affairs when the place that is synonymous for safety becomes wholly unsafe, claiming the lives of over 20 and injuring many more. SUM hospital is one such example that saw a shocking fire incident two days ago due to its negligence in the fire safety measures.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak stated in his reports that the State government has already ordered a probe into the circumstances under which the fire broke out. Although, per initial reports, a short-circuit was believed to have caused the fire. Nevertheless, with efficient fire safety measure, it could have been brought under control. But the story turned out to be otherwise. “Till last minute, we were assured that fire would be brought under control and there was no need to shift out of the ward. But when smokes (sic) became suffocating, hospital staff fled the spot. We were left to evacuate our near and dear ones on our own,” said Bibhuti Bhushan Sahoo, one of the people trapped in the hospital who then had to move his brother suffering from cancer out of harm’s way. His brother Dipak Ranjan Sahoo was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar after 30 minutes of waiting for an ambulance. This has been seen in many cases and even surveys which point to almost 90% of people in a fire die from fumes rather than flames. For the hospital to have been so aloof about it is certainly alarming.
On being interrogated about their slacking safety measure by the fire officials, one hospital official said “We do not have the executing power to initiate action against those (who) violate our safety recommendations. The reason is that the state government is yet to approve a set of proposed rules framed under the Orissa Fire Service Act 1993.” Though the Fire Service Act came into existence 23 years ago, rules under the act are yet to see daylight. However, the hospital claimed it complied with all fire safety guidelines. “We have adequate fire safety measures,” said Amit Banerjee, vice-chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University that owns the hospital.
The death number didn’t seem to agree with the statement, though, with 14 patients brought dead to Capital Hospital and 8 to the AMRI Hospital. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, and AMRI Hospital on Tuesday morning, said patients were recoving. One can just hope that this incident wakes up the government to get their safety guidelines right and get them imposed. As of today over 1200 hospital institutions are present in Odisha but only 3 of them have received a fire safety certificate.
