KOZHIKODE: Just as the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital was starting to recover from the shock of the May 2 fire, smoke that emerged from the sixth floor of the same block on Monday, during a safety inspection, triggered fresh panic. What should have been a step towards reassurance generated renewed fear, with patients hurriedly evacuated and bystanders reliving the chaos of Friday.
Monday’s incident occurred during a scheduled inspection by the Electrical Inspectorate.
The smoke was detected in Room 14 of the theatre complex, part of the sixth floor that houses super-speciality operating theatres. Officials clarified that there were no patients on the floor at the time. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, patients from the third and fourth floors were relocated, causing widespread panic among bystanders and families. “I had to rush out with my father who was admitted for urology surgery,” said Rameshan C P, from Naduvannur, Kozhikode. “We saw patients running out with attached IV tubes. It was frightening.” Eyewitnesses also heard sirens and smelt smoke before security began evacuations.
Dr Sanjeet Kumar, principal of the MCH, said the building was still being evaluated following the May 2 incident. “We will resume full operations only after we are fully satisfied that all systems are safe. Patient safety remains our priority,” he said.
He said that only patients who were stable and could move on their own were shifted from the third and fourth floors. “We received clearance from KSEB officials before shifting the patients. We were expecting to shift the majority of patients by Tuesday, but the fresh incident has prompted us to delay the process and wait until all the floors of the building are cleared by officials.
Fire and Rescue Services teams arrived promptly, along with police personnel, to contain the situation. According to the hospital PRO, smoke was contained before it could spread, although poor ventilation on the sixth floor remains a concern.
Health Minister Veena George admitted to lapses. “Patients were admitted to all three floors of the new block. That should not have happened,” she said.
The minister later confirmed that the incident occurred while Electrical Inspectorate officials were examining circuits and machinery as part of a mandatory safety review. The smoke was traced to a pendant light in the thoracic surgery department that emitted a small puff of smoke when powered up.
“This was a controlled test as part of inspection procedures,” the minister said. “But in light of multiple incidents, I have directed a complete fire safety audit of the entire campus,” Veena said. A committee led by the sub-collector will oversee the audit, which will include officials from the Fire and Rescue Services, Electrical Inspectorate, Public Works Department, and Disaster Management Authority. The Electrical Inspectorate is expected to submit a detailed report soon.
Questions are being raised as to why patients were allowed back into parts of the building before the Electrical Inspectorate’s final safety clearance. Hospital authorities face criticism for resuming partial operations even as safety checks continued. “Patients on the third and fourth floor should not have been admitted without complete inspection. The urgency to reopen without ensuring safety is unacceptable,” said a man who was part of the Indian Union Muslim League protest outside the hospital. The Congress also staged a demonstration.
As of now, the sixth floor remains closed to patients. The hospital management has assured that all necessary repairs and audits will be completed before resuming surgeries and other functioning in the super-speciality wing.