Cuttack Hospital Fire Mishap: BSKY Empanelment of Trisha Hospital suspended

Cuttack: Following the incident of a fire mishap in the ICU of a private hospital in Cuttack which later spread to another Nursing Home, the state Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Department has suspended the empanelment of Trisha Hospital under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).

According to reports, a fire broke out in the ICU of a private hospital which later spread to another Nursing Home, treating newborn babies, located near Purighat Police Station in Cuttack City on Saturday.

At least three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames and the critical patients in the ICU were rescued by the fire service personnel, news agency UNI reported.

According to a senior fire service official, 45 patients were successfully rescued from the hospital near the Purighat police station.

Seventeen patients were admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, 17 children were sent to Sishu Bhawan and 11 others shifted to different private hospitals, the officials said.

“We first rescued around 10 patients from the ICU and then rescued the newborns. In the meantime, we doused the flames and then dealt with the smoke,” said Assistant Fire Service Officer Sanjeeb Behera reports The India.

“It is to inform you that pending enquiry by the Health and Family Welfare Department and Fire Department; the empanelment of Trisha Hospital under BSKY is hereby suspended due to the recent fire incident at the hospital,” informed the H&FW department in a letter to Trisha Hospital on Sunday, news agency IANS reported.

Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja issued directions regarding the constitution of the special task force comprising officials of Health, Home and Energy departments to ensure proper fire safety measures are installed and guidelines followed at all the hospitals in the state.

A fire broke out at two nursing homes operating from the same building at Telanga Bazar in Cuttack on Saturday. Around 45 patients narrowly escaped from the inferno reportedly caused due to a short circuit.

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Altogether over 25 babies were undergoing treatment in the Trisha Nursing Home, 12 of them were in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) when the mishap took place.

A seven-day-old child, who was shifted to Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack after the fire broke out in Trisha Hospital on Saturday, died earlier on Sunday while undergoing treatment.

DG, Fire Services Sudhansu Sarangi said the fire has been brought under control and completely doused by the fire tenders.

State Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said a High-level committee will probe into the fire incident and strong action will be taken if the Nursing home authorities have flouted the rules in keeping and maintaining the fire fighting arrangements.