HYDERABAD: Most government hospitals in the state continue to be death traps, putting patients at grave risk. The vulnerability was exposed once again on Monday when a minor fire caused by short-circuit at Osmania General Hospital (OGH), turning the focus back on the issue. OGH is literally sitting on a tinderbox with no fire extinguishers on its premises. With the minor fire in the nephrology ward in the Quli Qutb Shah Block being brought under control, Osmania Hospital authorities and doctors heaved a sigh of relief. Of course, there is a reason for them to be relieved.
The Quli Qutb Shah Block, a four-storeyed building, has only one entrance-cum-exit . After the fire broke out, patients and attendants from all wards scurried towards it, creating a chaotic situation. This was an enough indication for the authorities to estimate the degree of disaster if there were to be a major fire on the premises. The hospital has three blocks: out-patient, in-patient and Quli Qutb Shah.
All the three blocks have operation theatres and wards and the latter two have Intensive Care Units (ICU). On any given day, the 1,168 bedded hospital is brimming with more than 3,000 people including patients and their attendants. Besides, there are 250 doctors and 800 others on the staff. Which means when people run towards the exit gate, it might result in a stampede. Citing Monday’s fire in the nephrology ward, a staff member said, “There is no fire extinguisher in any of the wards or corridors. Today, except helping patients we could do nothing to control the situation but just wait for the fire men to arrive,’’ he said.