Jaipur: At least eight patients lost their lives in a fire at the trauma centre in Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital on Sunday night (October 5). At the time of the incident, there were reportedly 11 patients in the Neuro ICU.
The blaze reportedly erupted in the storage area. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be investigated. However, it is suspected that a short circuit might have caused the blaze.
Among the eight deceased, six were identified as Pintu (from Sikar), Dilip (from Andhi, Jaipur), Shrinath, Rukmini, Khurma (all from Bharatpur), and Bahadur (from Sanganer, Jaipur). Panic gripped patients and their families as smoke rapidly spread throughout the floor.
Several documents, ICU equipment, blood sample tubes, and other items stored in the area were gutted by the blaze. Hospital staff and patient attendants evacuated patients, even transporting them with their beds outside the building, reported PTI.
After receiving information, firefighters arrived at the stop and brought the fire under control in approximately two hours. When the fire team arrived, the entire ward was reportedly engulfed in smoke. The firefighters had to break a window on the opposite side of the building to start extinguishing the fire.
Hospital staff and patient attendants evacuated patients, even transporting them with their beds outside the building.
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.
"The incident of a fire at the trauma center of Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur is extremely unfortunate. Upon reaching the hospital, I gathered information from the doctors and officials and issued instructions to ensure swift relief efforts. Every possible step is being taken for the safety of patients, their treatment, and the care of those affected, and the situation is being continuously monitored. May Lord Shri Ram grant place at His divine feet to the departed souls. The state government stands with the affected families and is committed to providing them every possible assistance," Sharma said in an X post.
When Sharma and Patel arrived, the victims' family alleged that the staff at the Neuro ICU fled after the fire broke out, reported PTI. They also claimed that the hospital staff could not provide updates on their patients' conditions.
"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 attendee said, as quoted PTI.
Meanwhile, another person who lost a family member in the fire told ANI that there was no proper equipment present at the spot to extinguish the fire.
The ICU caught fire. There was no equipment to extinguish it. There were no cylinders or even water to douse the fire. There were no facilities. My mother passed away," he said.
