Dehradun hospital booked for negligence after patient dies in ICU fire

Dehradun: Following the death of a female patient in a fire at a private hospital in Dehradun a day earlier, a criminal case was registered against the hospital management on charges of causing death by negligence, officials said.

The Nehru Colony police station has registered the case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a complaint by Sunny Pal, the son of the deceased patient Veervati Devi. The First Information Report accuses the hospital management of causing death by negligence, according to PTI.

An air conditioner explosion in the Intensive Care Unit triggered the fire at the Haridwar Road hospital on Wednesday, killing Veervati Devi and injuring 10 other patients.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a major safety scare unfolded at a private hospital in Dehradun on Wednesday morning after a reported short circuit in an air-conditioning unit inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) triggered a fire, leaving one patient dead and 16 others injured, including three police personnel.

Also Read:Fire at Dehradun Hospital ICU; 1 killed, 16 injured

During the rescue operation, three police personnel fell ill from toxic gas and smoke. The injured people and the police personnel were later admitted to another hospital for treatment.

Pal, a resident of GMS Road, Kanwali village, said his mother fainted on May 19, and he admitted her to Panacea Hospital at 6 am that morning because beds were unavailable elsewhere.

He alleged that the hospital charged ₹50,000 for tests and medicines during 10 hours of treatment.

Pal said his elder brother Kamal called him at 9 am on May 20 and informed him about the ICU fire.

According to the complainant, his mother sustained severe burn injuries and was shifted to another hospital, where doctors later declared her dead.

He further alleged that the hospital lacked adequate firefighting equipment and trained staff. He claimed the hospital administration's negligence caused his mother to suffer fatal burns.

Following the incident, Uttarakhand Health Minister Subodh Uniyal ordered the Dehradun Chief Medical Officer to inspect all private hospitals.

The inspections will verify compliance with safety and operational standards. Uniyal has also ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident.

Also Read:Fire at Cuttack Hospital ICU: 10 patients killed, 11 staff injured