Bhubaneswar hospital fire: Death toll rises to 21, Health Minister assures help
Bhubaneswar: The toll in the Sum Hospital fire rose to 21 on Wednesday with the death of a patient who was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar.
The deceased, identified as Janakibla Hui, had been shifted to AIIMS soon after the devastating fire ravaged the private medical facility on Monday evening, a spokesman of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar said.
The woman had earlier been admitted to Sum Hospital reportedly with lung cancer, he said adding she had been shifted to AIIMS in a critical condition.
Most of the victims, who were on ventilator support, perished because of asphyxiation as a thick layer of smoke had enveloped vast areas of Sum Hospital after the fire broke out.
Read: Odisha fire: Hospital did not have accreditation, Health Minister to take stock
Out of the 21 deaths recorded so far, 14 cases were reported in the Capital Hospital, five at AMRI Hospital and two in AIIMS, officials said.
As many as 106 patients have been shifted from the fire-hit private hospital to different places including Capital Hospital, AIIMS, AMRI Hospital, Kalinga Hospital, KIIMS and Hitech Hospital in Bhubaneswar, while some were sent to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Assuring all support to the Odisha government for the treatment of patients affected in the Sum Hospital fire, Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday said he was not here for any blame game over the incident which claimed 21 lives.
"I am not here for blame game. Our priority is proper treatment of patients who have been affected due to the fire at a medical facility two days ago," Nadda told reporters here on his arrival at the state capital.
Stating that the Centre would take measures to ensure better treatment of the fire-hit patients, Nadda said the state govenrment had constituted panels for conducting inquiry into the mishap.
The state government should implement fire safety measures at hospitals, said Nadda who is slated to hold discussions with health officials.
The Health Minister and Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met patients at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, AMRI Hospital and KIMS Hospital. The two ministers will also visit Sum Hospital where a fire had killed 20 people on Monday evening.
