Six Patients Killed in Fire at Jaipur Government Hospital's ICU
A fire in the neuro Intensive Care Unit of Jaipur's state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital has killed six patients who were on critical care support. The blaze, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit in a storage area, spread rapidly overnight. The incident has raised serious questions about fire safety standards in public hospitals, leading the state government to remove the hospital superintendent and trauma centre in-charge, announce compensation, and form a high-level committee to investigate the tragedy.
Unpacked:
Reports and eyewitness accounts point to a lack of functioning fire extinguishers and inadequate emergency preparedness, forcing hospital staff and attendants to physically carry patients out of the ICU during the blaze. The rapid spread of smoke and toxic gas also suggests insufficient safety infrastructure and evacuation procedures.
There were 11 patients in the neuro ICU when the fire broke out. Hospital staff managed to rescue 5 patients, while the remaining 6, who were on critical care support, unfortunately died due to the rapid spread of smoke and toxic gases. Staff and attendants played a key role in evacuating patients.
The state government removed the hospital superintendent and trauma centre in-charge, suspended an executive engineer, announced compensation for victims' families, and formed a high-level committee to investigate the incident. An FIR was also filed against the fire safety agency responsible for the hospital.
Prior to the incident, the Medical Education Department had directed the CISF in June to assess and report on fire safety at SMS Hospital and affiliated hospitals. This suggests preexisting concerns, though the investigation committee will determine if previous warnings or reports were ignored or insufficiently addressed.