BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK : The death toll in the SCB Medical College and Hospital ICU fire mishap rose to 12 on Tuesday with two more patients succumbing to their injuries.
The victims were Pabitra Tisari (20) of Andasuguda in Koraput’s Bariguma and Suman Kumar Sahoo (30) of Banda under Banarapal police limits in Angul district. Pabitra died on on Monday night while Suman succumbed in the early hours of Tuesday, hospital sources said.
Pabitra, who had sustained leg injury in an accident, was admitted to trauma care ICU on March 13. After the fire broke out at ICU in the wee hours of Monday, he was rescued and shifted to ICU in orthopedic department, where he succumbed. Suman had sustained head injury in an accident and was admitted to trauma care ICU on February 26. He was shifted to ICU in neurosurgery department after being rescued from the fire.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik stepped up his attack on the government for the lapses which led to the casualties in the oldest and largest medical college and hospital of Odisha and demanded immediate resignation Health and Family Welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling.
Naveen, who had visited the hospital following the incident on Monday evening, raised the issue during the zero hour in the Assembly. He said it was not just a tragic accident, but a stark reminder of the crumbling safety standards in the state’s premier healthcare institution. “These were patients who came to the hospital with the hope of recovery, only to meet a horrific end due to administrative negligence,” he alleged.
Stating that the Health department cannot hide behind the inquiries while families of the deceased mourn, the former chief minister said a judicial inquiry is welcome, but it does not absolve the political leadership of its responsibility.
“Therefore, I demand the immediate resignation of the Health minister. He must take moral responsibility for this catastrophic lapse in safety oversight,” he said.
Naveen also said the ex gratia of `25 lakh announced by the state government was inadequate and demanded `50 lakh for the families of each deceased victim. Later, speaking to mediapersons outside the Assembly, Naveen said when the BJD was in power, the then Health minister resigned due to an accident at a private hospital. The current Health minister should follow such example and resign, he added.
Leader of Congress legislature party Ramachandra Kadam also demanded the resignation of Mahaling. “Expressing condolences does not end the responsibility of the government. It must be accountable for the safety of the people, particularly the patients in a hospital,” he stated.
On the other hand, making a statement in the Assembly, Mahaling said the state government is fully vigilant and committed to strengthening the fire fighting systems in the hospitals. The government has allotted funds for the first time in the budget for fire prevention in hospitals, he asserted.
Stating that `320 crore was spent in 2025-26 for strengthening the fire prevention system in hospitals, the minister said in 2026-27, a provision of `400 crore has been made for the purpose. Targeting the previous government, the minister said it had made no separate allocation for fire prevention in hospitals.
Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Assembly as soon as the question hour started as Opposition BJD and Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans and demanding the resignation of the Health minister. Speaker Surama Padhy first adjourned the House till noon and then 4 pm. The House could run for only 22 minutes during the pre-lunch session.