‘It was difficult to breathe, I feared for my life’
AFTERMATH Patients and their attendants recount the horror and anxiety when the blaze broke out
LUCKNOW: Meeting his brother Arvind Shukla, 35, on the fifth floor of the Trauma Centre was a priceless moment for Ramnaresh , an anxious attendant.
Ramnaresh, who is from Sitapur, had left for some urgent work minutes before fire broke out in the building, where his brother was admitted to the neuro-surgery ward two day before, after a road accident .
As he returned he saw a screaming crowd, smoke and then fire on the second floor. Ramnaresh rushed to the ward where his brother was admitted but did not find him.
“I asked many people, including doctors and medical staff but no one could answer me. I was thinking why at all did I leave my brother,” he said, remembering those awful, anxious moments.
After a hectic search in different sections of the campus, he finally found his brother on the fifth floor and he broke into tears. “I could not leave my brother for a few minutes when I found him,” he said.
For many patients, recounting those two hours was a tedious task .
They said due to heavy smoke it was difficult. KGMU officials said as fire had engulfed the foam, cotton, and other items along with the pipe in the air conditioners and there was heavy smoke in the building.
Shivkaran, who was admitted on the third floor, said while shifting it was difficult to breathe. “Until I got shifted I was under tremendous fear of losing my life. Thanks to the staff who shifted me safely,” he said .
The chief minister has already announced that medical staff will be felicitated for their swift action and dedication during the crisis.
“Had shifting not been done swiftly, there could have been deaths due to shock and suffocation,” said Ajay Gupta of Hardoi.
Shreedhar Shukla who was at the Trauma Centre for treatment of his daughter-in-law said it was tough during the smoke and fire but at last things came back to normal.
Until I got shifted I was under tremendous fear of losing my life. Thanks to the staff who shifted me safely SHIVKARAN, a patient