(Image source from: PTI)
At least six severely ill patients lost their lives in a fire at the trauma unit of the government-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur late Sunday, officials reported. The head of the trauma center, Dr Anurag Dhakad, mentioned that 11 patients were receiving care in the Neuro ICU when the fire broke out in the storage section, which is believed to have started due to an electrical short circuit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the incident, stating in a post in Hindi on X, "The loss of lives from a fire accident at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is very upsetting. My sympathies go out to those who have lost family members. I hope the injured heal quickly." While some sources indicated that eight patients lost their lives during the fire, Dr Dhakad and Dr Sushil Bhati, the hospital superintendent, insisted that the death toll stands at six. The state government has set up a high-level committee to investigate the event. Officials named the victims as Pintu from Sikar, Dilip and Bahadur from Jaipur, and Shrinath, Rukmini, and Khurma, all from Bharatpur.
"Six of the deceased included two women and four men," Dhakad noted. "Fourteen other patients were in another ICU, and they were all safely moved to different areas," he continued. The fire caused a lot of confusion as dense smoke quickly filled the building, creating panic among patients and their families. Numerous documents, ICU gear, and medical supplies were destroyed by the flames. Hospital workers and attendants helped evacuate the patients, with some pushing beds outside the facility. Firefighters managed to control the blaze in about two hours. Vikas, a ward boy who witnessed the events, told PTI that he and other staff members tried their best to save as many individuals as possible before the situation worsened. "We were in the operating room when we learned about the fire, so we hurried to help those inside the center. We were able to save about three or four patients. But as the fire grew stronger, we could no longer enter the building. We did everything we could to assist those in need," he recounted.
He also noted that the police showed up later but could not enter the building right away because of the thick smoke. When the fire crew arrived, they found the entire ward consumed by smoke. They had to break a window to begin putting out the fire. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the trauma center to assess the situation. When Patel and Bedham first arrived, relatives of some patients expressed their distress, claiming that the staff had ignored warnings and fled during the fire. They also asserted that the hospital personnel failed to provide updates regarding the patients' statuses.
"We saw smoke and quickly told the staff, but they ignored us. When the fire started, they ran away first. Now, we can't find out how our patients are doing. We want to know their status, but no one is giving us any information," said one of the caregivers.
Later on, the chief minister communicated with doctors and patients. He referred to the event as very sad and promised that help was being organized right away. "I went to the hospital and got updates from the doctors and officials. We are making sure that patients are safe, and they receive treatment and support. We are keeping a close watch on the situation," he posted on X. In light of the event, the state government declared they would set up a committee to carry out a complete investigation. This committee will examine what caused the fire, how the hospital got ready for and managed the emergency, the safety protocols in place, and measures to avoid such events in the future.
The commissioner of the Medical Education Department, Iqbal Khan, will lead this committee. They are expected to provide a detailed report after looking over the site and considering all factors of the incident. In the meantime, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot stated that the event is tragic and urged the state government to carry out a thorough investigation to ensure similar events do not happen again.
The opposition leader, Tikaram Jully, claimed that eight people died in the event and expressed his sorrow. AICC general secretary and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also went to the hospital, sharing his sadness about the event. "This incident was definitely caused by carelessness in one of the state's top hospitals," he remarked. Pilot emphasized the importance of holding people accountable and calling for prompt action.
