A fierce fire at the trauma center of Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Hospital on Sunday night took seven lives, leaving the victims' families devastated. Patients from various regions like Agra, Jaipur, and Bharatpur had come for treatment at the SMS Hospital, but the fire tragically ended their journeys. Initially, a short circuit is suspected to be the fire's cause, while Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered an investigation.
Witnesses reported smoke starting to emerge from the neuro ward's storage area on the second floor of the trauma building at approximately 11:10 PM on Sunday night. While patients alerted the staff, the smoke spread so rapidly that staff and patients were forced to evacuate hurriedly.
210 Patients Were in Trauma Center During Incident
At the time of the incident, the trauma center housed 210 patients, including 40 in the ICU. At night, each ICU typically has only one staff member, who fled during the incident, worsening the situation. The trauma ICU had 11 patients, and 13 were in the semi-ICU. With the fire spreading rapidly and gas emissions turning toxic, saving patients in severe conditions or those in a coma became a daunting task. Despite efforts by hospital staff, nursing officers, and ward boys to evacuate patients on trolleys, six patients succumbed despite CPR attempts. Among the deceased were two women and four men.
Staff Abandoned Patients During Fire
The victims included 40-year-old Sarvesh Devi from Agra, who died from smoke inhalation. Sher Singh from Aandhi in Jaipur district shared that while everyone fled during the fire, he carried his mother out, but she had already passed. Sher Singh remains in shock.
Accident Case Patient Dies
Meanwhile, Digambar Verma from Bauli in Sawai Madhopur, admitted for an accident case, died in the stampede outside the hospital. The hospital administration differentiates this incident from the fire tragedy. Other victims include Pintu (Sikar), Dilip (Aandhi, Jaipur), Shrinath, Rukmini, Khudra (all from Bharatpur), and Bahadur (Sanganer, Jaipur).
CM Orders inquiry
Latest information indicates that Rajasthan's Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered an investigation. A committee chaired by Medical Education Department Commissioner Iqbal Khan has been announced to lead the inquiry.
According to the orders, this committee will examine the fire's causes, hospital management’s response, fire safety measures at the trauma center and SMS Hospital, patient protection and evacuation during a fire, and implement safety measures to prevent future incidents, submitting their report based on these insights.
FSL Team to Investigate
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph stated that an FSL team's investigation would determine the fire's exact cause, although an initial short circuit is suspected. Seven deaths have been confirmed, with bodies sent for post-mortem. Other patients have been transferred to another ward.
Four Patients in Critical Condition
SMS Trauma Center In-charge Anurag Dhakad reported that a short circuit in the trauma ICU triggered the fire, spreading rapidly. Staff managed to save 24 patients, but unfortunately, seven severely injured patients could not be rescued. Four patients remain in critical condition.
The victims' families accuse the staff of negligence. One family member mentioned reporting sparks to doctors four to five times, but the doctors downplayed it. When the fire broke out, staff fled without organizing fire extinguishers or water.
