VISAKHAPATNAM: Panic gripped King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam on Saturday morning after a fire broke out in the Cardiology Department, prompting the emergency evacuation of patients. The blaze, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, resulted in no injuries.
Relatives of patients at the cardiology block told TNIE that the incident left them anxious, especially coming just days after a major power outage at the hospital. They described KGH — the main government hospital serving North Coastal AP, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh — as ‘the lifeline of the region’ and questioned how two such incidents could occur in quick succession.
According to the Office of the Superintendent, KGH, smoke was first noticed between 9.30 am and 9.40 am in the Dr NTR Medical Services Trust office room inside the Cardiology Block. Staff immediately disconnected the electricity supply and shifted 43 patients to the Gynaecology Block and Family Planning Ward.
The Fire Service Department was alerted through the emergency number 101 and reached the spot within five minutes. The fire was brought under control within ten minutes. The property loss is estimated around `2 lakh.
South Constituency MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas visited the location soon after receiving information. After inspecting the area, he said no one had been harmed and assured that steps would be taken to prevent similar incidents.
He directed the concerned medical officer, Dr Vani, to report any shortcomings observed during the response and warned that negligence by doctors or staff would not be tolerated. KGH, one of the oldest and busiest government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh, handles more than 1,000 out-patient cases daily and is a crucial healthcare facility for patients across the region.
A construction-related cable damage on 6 November caused a 10-hour outage that cut power, water and vital equipment to several wards, prompting demands for infrastructure upgrades. Relatives at the cardiology block told TNIE that the latest fire has deepened their concerns about safety at KGH and urged authorities to take immediate action to prevent recurring incidents.