8 killed in Jaipur hospital fire; families allege staff fled
What's the story
A fire at the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur claimed the lives of eight critically ill patients on Sunday night. The blaze, suspected to be caused by a short circuit, broke out in the storage area of the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the trauma center. Trauma center in charge Dr. Anurag Dhakad stated that 11 patients were being treated in the Neuro ICU when the fire broke out.
Emergency response
Fourteen other patients were safely evacuated
The fire quickly spread smoke across the floor, triggering panic among patients and their families. The firefighters had to break a window on the opposite side of the building to start extinguishing the fire. They took about two hours to douse the flames, according to PTI. Fourteen other patients in a different ICU were safely evacuated during the incident. Hospital staff and attendants helped move patients outside on their beds amid the chaos.
Allegations surface
Family members allege negligence
However, allegations have emerged against the hospital staff for their negligence during the incident. Family members of patients claimed they alerted staff about smoke before the fire broke out, but were ignored. "We noticed smoke and immediately informed the staff, but they did not pay any heed. When the fire broke out, they were the first to run," one attendee alleged. They also complained about being unable to get information about their loved ones' conditions after the incident.
Official visit
Rajasthan CM visits hospital, orders probe
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the trauma centre to assess the situation. Various stored documents, ICU equipment, blood sample tubes, and other items were gutted by the fire. The state government is looking into the tragic incident to find out what went wrong and why it happened.