HYDERABAD: There was chaos after thick black smoke emanated from Quli Qutb Shah block of Osmania General Hospital following a short circuit on Monday morning. As the smoke spread across Nephrology wards and Operation Theatres, people were not allowed into the block which leads to anxiety as they worried if it was a fire accident in the block. Doctors, staff, patients, attendants and none others had any clue about the reason for the smoke. Fire brigades were rushed in around 30 minutes and the situation was brought under control.
At around 11.30 am, the air conditioner inside Nephrology department in HOD’s room started giving trouble. Authorities said that the A/C was switched on and the door was locked. Everything around the AC was charred and thick smoke emanating from the room which is located immediately beside female Nephrology Ward located on the third floor of Quli Qutb Shah block. Male Nephrology ward is located a few metres away. Patients in the wards said that the smoke was so thick they could not see who was standing beside or in front of them. An attendant whose family member was in female Nephrology ward said that she was stopped from entering the building.
“I was outside the block when I saw smoke coming out of a window and people began running around. I wanted to rush to my mother-in-law who was admitted in the Nephrology ward on third floor but I was stopped at the entrance. I barged into the building pushing aside. However, after reaching third floor I could not move ahead as there was thick black smoke. They wanted to shift the patients but changed the plan to pump out the smoke by opening all windows,” said the attendant.
A patient at the Male Nephrology Ward pointing at ceiling fan which had tar stuck to it, said “We ran out from the ward into an open space outside the block. All patients and attendants panicked. We returned after three- long hours.” Another attendant said that she along with her patient ran to the ground floor and did not wait for wheelchair or stretcher to arrive. Two surgeries postponed Sources said that as smoke spread into Urology department’s Operation Theatres too, two elective surgeries were postponed. Some surgeries were performed and two were pending when the incident occurred. “No one could figure out what was happening. Wards were covered in thick blanket of smoke.