Fire at Dehradun Hospital ICU; 1 killed, 16 injured

Dehradun: 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.

The incident has once again raised serious concerns about fire safety measures and emergency response preparedness in hospitals.

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According to the news reports, the deceased patient was a 66-year-old resident of Balliwala and was on ventilator support when the incident occurred. Her family members stated that she was diabetic and had been admitted to the Panacea Hospital on Monday.

"By the time I reached, she had passed away. We have been told that even though she was evacuated, she had inhaled a lot of smoke and died due to asphyxiation," said the victim's son, reports TOI.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Manoj Sharma said the body has been sent for a postmortem to determine the exact cause of death. There were 14 patients admitted at the time of the incident, including six in the ICU. One patient was referred to Coronation District Hospital, while others were shifted to private hospitals. He further added that 10 people, including two police personnel, are currently in critical condition.

According to eyewitnesses and hospital staff, the incident occurred at around 9.20 am, allegedly after a short circuit in the AC system, possibly worsened by oxygen supply lines in the ICU.

Hospital staff said thick smoke spread rapidly across the ICU within minutes, forcing emergency evacuation efforts. “We shut down major appliances and switches immediately, but the fire spread very quickly,” said a staff member.

Speaking to TOI, Hospital owner Ranveer Chauhan said, "The fire was massive and depleted the entire 6,000-litre firefighting water tanker at the premises. The fire department has completed its inspections."

The police said three police personnel involved in the rescue operations also had to be hospitalized due to suffocation and breathing difficulties; meanwhile, taking cognizance of the incident, the Uttarakhand government has ordered an inspection of all private hospitals in the state, reports PTI.

Inspector General Rajeev Swarup said that a preliminary assessment suggests a short circuit may have triggered the blaze, although a detailed investigation is underway. The district administration has directed concerned departments to conduct a detailed inquiry and assess the extent of damage.

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