Hospital blaze kills 1: Fire dept flags bunch of safety violations
Karn Pratap Singh
NEW DELHI: A fire broke out at the intensive care unit (ICU) of private hospital in northwest Delhi’s Budh Vihar early on Saturday morning, killing a 64-year-old man patient in the facility, police officers said, as the fire department pointed out a host of safety norm violations in the building, prompting them to cancel its no-objection certificate (NOC). The facility’s firefighting system was defunct and the emergency doors and one of the two staircases locked, chained and blocked, the fire department said.
Seventeen patients and their relatives were evacuated from the blaze at the four-storey building in Brahm Shakti Hospital near Rohini, officials said, and the police have registered a case.
The blaze set off panic on the floor, with patients and hospital staff trying to escape down the only available staircase, even as the flames started to spread to the second floor. The victim, Holi Ram, was suffering from a kidney ailment and was on ventilator support, fire officials said, adding that an autopsy will determine the precise cause of his death. The police, however, said they suspect that he died either of asphyxiation or because the electricity and oxygen supply to the ICU was cut-off.
Ram retired as a gardener with the Delhi Development Authority, his relatives said.
DFS chief Atul Garg said they rushed nine fire tenders to the hospital, after receiving a call reporting the blaze around 5am.
“The fire broke out in the ICU on the third floor. The hospital building housed
18 patients. Except the elderly patient in the ICU who was on ventilator support, the other patients were safely rescued. The fire was doused and the patient taken out in an unconscious condition. He was dead. No fire fighting system was found in working condition. The emergency exit gates and staircase were locked and blocked,” said Garg.
He said the department handed the hospital an NOC nearly a yearand-half ago, after inspecting the firefighting system, which was operational at the time.
“We have cancelled the hospital’s NOC. It seems the firefighting equipment was not maintained, because of which it went defunct. We will write to the district administration, police, and health department, apprising them about the lapses and asking them to stop the hospital functioning,” added.
Meanwhile, Ram’s family blamed hospital authorities for his death.
His wife, Munni Devi, and children – Santosh Kumar and Laxmi – said two other patients were on the third floor when the fire broke out.
“The other two patients were rescued but my husband was left to die. We want a fair investigation so that hospital authorities and staffers who were supposed to be responsible for my husband’s safety can be held accountable for his death. “My husband was being treated at the hospital for more than 12 days. We were charged between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000 a day,” said Devi.
His family also alleged that the hospital did not inform them about the fire or about his death. His son said that around 6.30 am, the police informed them that he was shifted to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital.
“My father was in their care at the hospital. The hospital officials should have informed us about the fire and death. Despite visiting the hospital and asking about his wellbeing, the only answer we got from the officials was to see him at the other hospital,” said Ram’s daughter Laxmi.
During a spot visit on Saturday afternoon, security guards and other hospital employees did not allow HT to enter the main building where the fire took place.
The hospital’s medical superintendent did not respond to several calls and text messages requesting comment.
A staffer at the hospital’s reception counter said the medical superintendent and other senior members in the administration were not available.
Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said the fire likely broke out due to a short circuit. “After the fire was extinguished, the patient [Holi Ram] was rescued but he died because the power and oxygen supply lines were cut off due to the blaze. We have registered a case under Indian Penal Code’s sections 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to machinery), and 304A (death by negligence),” added Tayal.