CUTTACK: For the 100-odd patients undergoing treatment in the G+4 trauma care building at SCB medical college and hospital, it was a close shave as the fire fighters, despite being alerted 20 minutes after the fire broke out, managed to control the blaze on the first floor where the 23-bed ICU was located, in the small hours of Monday.
According to hospital record, 46 patients were undergoing treatment on the ground floor used as emergency, while 14 patients were admitted to the trauma ICU having 23 beds located on the first floor. Another 45 patients were in trauma care wards located on the second and third floors. There were 12 patients in the 30-bed central ICU on the fifth floor. The fourth floor, used as liver transplant unit, however, was lying vacant.
The fire broke out at the trauma care ICU on the first floor at about 2.35 am-2.40 am following a suspected electrical short circuit, prompting the hospital staff to use handheld fire extinguishers. When the flames erupted again from different sides, they failed to unlock the fire hydrant system apparently due to lack of proper training, and soon fire and smoke engulfed the ICU.
The dedicated fire service unit of the hospital immediately responded to the call at about 2.58 am. The Cuttack Fire Station was also alerted. Three fire tenders and over 30 fire service personnel were immediately pressed into service. “We first unlocked the fire hydrant system and sprayed water from the tankers to extinguish the fire. The entire process was completed by half an hour,” said a fire official who was part of the operation.
While three of the 14 patients admitted to the trauma care were charred to death, seven others died of asphyxiation. Most were on ventilator and oxygen support. Four others were rescued in critical condition. The evacuation process was carried out by using stretchers through the stairs as power supply was cut off, leaving the lift service halted.
Later, smoke exhausters were employed by the firefighters to remove the smoke and assist the hospital staff in rescue operation. The action to extinguish the fire and blow out the smoke ensured that the flames did not reach the upper floors.
Preliminary inquiry revealed hospital staffs performing duty were not adequately trained on fire prevention. The security guards too did not have any knowledge of such operation.
Meanwhile, after postmortem, bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families. The district administration provided `20,000 financial assistance to each bereaved family and made arrangement for transportation of the bodies.