Jaipur hospital fire: Had warned about safety issues, claims removed official

An official, who was removed after a massive fire at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital claimed six lives, has blamed the higher authorities for the incident and alleged that he had warned them about the trauma centre being unsafe due to poor maintenance and construction work.

A massive fire blazed through the neuro ICU on the second floor of the trauma centre on Sunday night (October 5), killing six of the 11 patients on critical care support. Fourteen patients from another ICU on the same floor were also evacuated, and two of them later died.

Also read: Six patients killed in Jaipur govt hospital ICU fire; probe panel formed

However, the hospital administration has maintained that the deaths due to fire were six.

2 officials removed

Taking action in the matter, the Rajasthan government removed Dr. Sushil Bhati, superintendent of SMS hospital, and Dr. Anurag Dhakad, trauma centre in-charge and nodal officer, from their posts on Monday and replaced by Dr. Mrinal Joshi and Dr. BL Yadav, respectively.

The hospital's executive engineer, Mukesh Singhal, was also suspended. The tender of the fire safety firm has been cancelled, and legal proceedings have been initiated against the company.

SMS hospital is Rajasthan's biggest government health facility, treating patients from across the state and elsewhere.

What official claimed

Dr Dhakad claimed that he wrote several letters to the SMS Hospital superintendent and other authorities concerned multiple times, cautioning about the presence of electric current in the walls, leaking roofs and serious faults in the electrical panels had made the trauma centre unsafe.

Also read: TV actor Veer Sharma, brother die in fire in Kota house

The most recent letter, he said, was written on October 3, just two days before the fire, raising concern about the duct and electrical panel.

"The ongoing construction work of the neuro operation theatre on the upper floor has damaged the VRV system, duct and electrical panel. There is a strong possibility of these being further damaged by falling debris. If any of this machinery is damaged, full responsibility will lie with the concerned department," the letter mentioned.

Rainwater seepage

Last month, too, he wrote a letter and warned that rainwater seepage from the construction area above was creating dangerous conditions inside the operating theatres.

"Due to leakage, dampness has developed, and because of this, current is spreading through the OT walls and switchboards. This poses a risk of mishap to doctors, employees and patients," he said in the letter dated September 9.

"I had written multiple letters to the higher authorities regarding various serious issues pertaining to maintenance and potential dangers," he told news agency PTI.

He said that it was for the higher authorities and departments concerned to take action on the issues raised in the letters, but no concrete action was taken.

(With agency inputs)