Fire breaks out at MKCG Medical College Hospital's Biochemistry Lab
Fire at MKCG Lab Prompts Inspection
Berhampur: A fire broke out at the Regional Diagnostic Centre of MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Odisha's Ganjam district in the early hours of Monday, bringing testing services to a halt and causing significant disruption for patients.
The incident occurred around 1:30 AM on the ground floor of the diagnostic facility, reportedly triggered by a short circuit in the main laboratory of the biochemistry division. The flames quickly spread to the main examination hall. The fire was first noticed by attendants of patients in the hospital, who raised the alarm.
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Fortunately, no casualties were reported, though several staff members fell ill due to suffocation caused by gas leakage from air conditioning units. All affected personnel are now in stable condition.
The fire has severely impacted routine diagnostic operations, creating difficulties for both inpatients and outpatients who rely on timely test results for treatment. Dr. Suchita Panda, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, stated that while minor tests resumed after a thorough cleaning of some equipment, major diagnostic tests had to be paused pending inspection and repair of the machines.
According to TNIE, MKCG superintendent Prof Radha Madhaba Satapathy said mechanics from Cuttack were informed and would arrive shortly. “We initiated all measures, and hopefully, the diagnostic centre will be ready for all tests by Tuesday. Meanwhile, we have arranged tests at the machines available at the medical college during an emergency,” he added.
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Medical Dialogues had previously reported that an inquiry had been ordered following a disturbing incident at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where two postnatal mothers were reportedly made to carry their intubated newborns to the super-speciality block for echocardiogram (ECHO) tests, while both babies shared a single oxygen cylinder.
