CUTTACK: Newly-elected BJD Rajya Sabha MP Santrupt Misra on Thursday visited the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, where a tragic fire mishap claimed the lives of 12 patients recently.
Mishra came down heavily on the state government for not taking any action against those responsible even after four days of the incident. He alleged that the BJP government suspended four lower-level officials to avoid the questions raised by the Opposition parties over the issue in the Assembly.
“It is a matter of regret that the state government without fixing accountability, suspended four lower-level officials who can never raise their voice. These lower-level government employees who work hard in adverse conditions with low salaries were not even given the opportunity to put up their response before their suspension, which is unjustified,” he pointed out.
Misra demanded that the government fix accountability and initiate action against those actually responsible for the incident. “Those who extinguished the fire and saved many patients’ lives in the building have been made scapegoats. Be it the Health minister, department secretary or the hospital authorities, they should not be spared. The said persons must resign on moral grounds or the state government must remove them from their posts and replace them with qualified and competent persons,” he demanded.
On the other hand, a six-member high-level fact-finding committee led by development commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh inspected the mishap site at SCB MCH and held a review meeting with the hospital authorities at the Circuit House here.