Odisha government orders probe into Sadguru Covid Hospital fire mishap

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Monday ordered an inquiry into the fire mishap at Sadguru Covid Hospital in Cuttack. Fire directorate sources said the private hospital did not possess a fire safety certificate.
Health minister Naba Kishore Das has asked the additional chief secretary (ACS-health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra to supervise the inquiry. “It is a matter of serious concern and negligence. Since the fire broke out owing to an electric short circuit, I have asked our department ACS to seek separate reports from the fire services directorate and the energy department officials within 24 hours. The chief district medical and public health officers (CDM & PHOs) and other doctors should ensure immediate treatment of the patients, who were evacuated to other hospitals,” Das told TOI.
The minister refused to comment on how the private hospital, which did not possess a fire safety certificate, was allowed to treat both Covid and non-Covid patients. Das said both the fire and electricity department officials will conduct a joint inspection of the Sadguru Covid Hospital and ask the authorities to comply with the shortcomings, if any. “We will allow the hospital to resume operations only after they comply with the fire safety measures,” Das said.
Notably, the hospital had applied for a fire safety certificate in 2019. According to the procedure, the fire services personnel had inspected the hospital and recommended them to comply with the fire-fighting requirements. The hospital authorities had sought some time for the same.
“The fire safety certificate has not been granted to the hospital as they have not yet complied with our recommendations. However, their fire extinguishing system, including sprinklers were functioning properly today owing to which a major fire was averted,” a senior fire services officer said.
The fire services directorate had conducted a fire safety audit of Covid hospitals across the state in the wake of the death of eight patients following a fire tragedy in a Covid hospital in Ahmedabad on August 6. At least 50 Covid hospitals with 7,328 beds and 710 ICUs are currently functioning in the state. “We had also inspected Sadguru hospital’s fire safety standard in August last week. We had advised them to improve the minor shortcomings immediately,” the officer said.
However, the Sadguru hospital authorities said they already adopted a foolproof fire-fighting mechanism. “We have complied with almost all the fire safety recommendations,” a hospital functionary said.
The fire services directorate said they would start a fresh inspection of the fire safety compliance in Covid hospitals.
Inspired By