Fire at SGPGI operation theatre claims life of two patient, one woman, one child

Lucknow: Two patients, including a child and a woman, died after a fire broke out in an operation theatre of the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here on Monday, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also heads the health portfolio, said a detailed probe would be conducted into the incident and strict action would be taken against the offenders.

The blaze was reported in one of the operation theatres at the state-run hospital around 12.40 pm. A spark in a monitor led to the fire, which first spread to the workstation and then to the entire operation theatre, a statement issued by SGPGIMS said.

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All the patients in the operation wing were rushed to the post-operative ICU. The firefighting system was immediately activated and the fire was brought under control, the hospital added.

A female patient who was undergoing endosurgery in the operation theatre could not be saved, the statement said.

Besides, a child, about one-month-old, who was undergoing heart surgery at the time of the incident was brought out to the ICU because of smoke and resuscitated but he could not be saved, it added.

A senior official of SGPGIMS said the woman died as she inhaled smoke and suffered burn injuries.

The child was taken out but died due to his weak heart condition, the official added.

Deputy Inspector General (Fire) Jugal Kishore Tiwari said the information about the fire was received at 12.58 pm and fire tenders arrived at the hospital within five minutes and doused the blaze, however most of the section of the floor was already burnt.

Visitors at the hospital said the operation procedure for three patients was underway when the fire broke out, Tiwari said.

It appears that the incident occurred due to a short circuit, he added.

Expressing grief over the incident, Pathak said, “The incident that happened at PGI is very unfortunate. A high-level investigation has been ordered. What caused the fire and how it broke out, a complete point-wise investigation will be conducted,” Pathak said.

“Principal Secretary Parthasarathy Sen Sharma has been asked to immediately go to the spot and strict action will be taken against whoever is found guilty in the incident,” he added.