Kin of Jaipur hospital fire victims allege negligence: 'We had warned them...'
While highlighting the staff's negligence, a relative, Jogendra Singh, said he had alerted the doctors about the spark which later broke out into a blaze.
Eight patients were killed after a massive blaze broke out at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the trauma centre at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Hospital. The deceased included three women.
The fire broke out at around 11.20 pm on Sunday in the neuro ICU ward’s store room, where papers, medical equipment, and blood sample tubes were kept. A short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the blaze.
The kin of the patients admitted to the hospital, including those who lost their lives, recounted their experiences after the blaze engulfed the ICU, while also alleging safety lapses in the medical facility.
A relative of one of the deceased said that the doctors and compounders at the hospital “had already fled” by the time the smoke intensified. “Smoke started spreading around 11:20 PM, and I warned the doctors that it could cause discomfort to patients,” Om Prakash told ANI news agency. His 25-year-old maternal aunt's son lost his life in the blaze.
“Only 4 to 5 patients were evacuated,” Om Prakash said, adding that his relative was about to recover and would have been discharged in two to three days.
'Alerted doctors about spark… they dismissed it as normal'
While highlighting the staff's negligence, another relative, Jogendra Singh, said he had alerted the doctors about the spark, which later broke out into a blaze.
“When the spark occurred, I alerted the doctors four to five times that it was coming from there, but they dismissed it as normal.” he said.
Jogendra, whose mother had been admitted to the ICU, said that once smoke engulfed the area, all staff members fled and no one was left to help his mother.
He said that while the police told him everyone had been evacuated, his mother and brother were still inside the hospital. “Somehow, I managed to rescue my brother, but he is now in critical condition,” ANI quoted Jogendra as saying.
Puran Singh, a relative of another patient, claimed there was a cylinder near the area where the spark took place. “The smoke spread throughout the ICU, causing everyone to flee in panic. Some managed to rescue their own patients, but mine was left alone in the room,” he said, adding that the gates of were shut as the smoke started spreading.
Another relative, Ranjit Singh Rathore, also said that the gates had been shut. “I rushed to the hospital, but initially, they wouldn't let me inside. After some time, I managed to enter. When I went in, I found my brother dead,” Rathore said.
