Six patients die in Jaipur hospital fire; PM, CM express grief, probe underway

Jaipur, Oct 6: At least six critical patients, including two women, died when a fire broke out at the trauma centre of Jaipur’s state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital late on Sunday night.

According to officials, the deceased were identified as Pintu from Sikar, Dilip and Bahadur from Jaipur, Shrinath, Rukmini, and Khurma - all six of them from Bharatpur. 

While some reports claimed that eight patients died in the fire, Dr Anurag Dhakad, Trauma centre in-charge and hospital superintendent Dr Sushil Bhati maintained that the number of deaths was six.

"Six of them, two women and four men, died in the incident. Fourteen other patients were admitted in a different ICU, and all were successfully evacuated to safer locations," Dhakad said.

Dr Dhakad futher explained 11 patients were being treated in the Neuro ICU when the fire erupted in the storage area, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit.

Eye witness recalled and narrated the chaotic situation as thick smoke spread rapidly, triggering panic among patients and their families. Several documents, ICU equipment, and medical supplies are claimed to have been destroyed in the fire.

Hospital staff and attendants took to evacuate patients, with some wheeling beds outside the building. Firefighters brought the fire under control in around two hours.

Vikas, a ward boy who was at the scene, claimed that he and other staff members rescued as many people as they could before the fire worsened.

"We were inside the operating theatre when we heard about the fire, so we immediately rushed to rescue the people inside the centre. We managed to save at least three to four patients. However, as the flames intensified, we could no longer go into the building. We did our best to rescue as many as we could," he said.

He added that the police arrived later, but they could not enter the building immediately due to the heavy smoke.

"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. Now, we cannot get any information about our patients. We want to know their condition, but no one is telling us," one of the attendants said.

In response to the incident, the state government announced the formation of a committee to conduct a thorough investigation. The committee will look into the causes of the fire, the hospital's preparedness and response to the emergency, safety measures, and steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

The committee will be headed by the commissioner of the Medical Education Department, Iqbal Khan. It is expected to submit its detailed report after a site inspection and review of all aspects of the incident.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to express grief over the tragic incident. "The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon", he posted.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the trauma centre to take stock of the situation and also spoke to doctors and patients.

When Patel and Bedham initially arrived, relatives of some patients expressed anguish, alleging that the staff had ignored early warning and fled during the fire. They also claimed that the hospital staff could not provide updates on the patients' condition.

AICC general secretary and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also visited the hospital and expressed sorrow over the incident.

While questioning accountability, he also demanded swift action for the victims. "This disaster has undoubtedly been caused due to negligence in one of the state's most renowned hospitals," he added.

PTI