CUTTACK: At least 10 people were killed after a fire broke out in the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on the wee hours of Monday.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who rushed to the hospital, said that around 11 hospital staff members suffered burn injuries while rescuing patients to safety.
Around 15 patients were admitted to the ICU when the fire occurred. Most of the patients were on ventilator and oxygen support, making it difficult to shift them quickly after the fire started. Several of them died during the evacuation process, sources said.
Police Commissioner of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, S Dev Datta Singh, confirmed with TNIE that 10 patients died in the mishap. However, there were no children among the casualties.
The fire was reported at about 2.59 am, and the firefighters responded to the situation immediately. The medical college has a dedicated fire service unit, which responded after the incident. Fire personnel from the Cuttack Fire Station were also alerted and rushed to the spot to assist in firefighting and rescue operations. At least three fire tenders and over 30 personnel were pressed into service.
However, sources added that the evacuation was hampered as there were not enough doctors and nurses present in the unit at the time of the incident. SCB Medical College and Hospital is the biggest government healthcare facility of Odisha.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Majhi has ordered a judicial probe into the incident. Taking a stock of the condition of the patients at the hospital, expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the next of kin of each of the deceased.
Expressing his condolences to the families of those killed in the fire, he directed that other ICU patients be immediately shifted to a safe place and be provided the best of treatment.
Health Secretary S Aswathy was also at the hospital to oversee the situation.