A child and a woman, who were admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, died after a fire broke out in an operation theatre on Monday (December 18), the police said. The incident took place in the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in the state’s capital city, reacting to which Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also heads the health portfolio, said a detailed probe would be conducted into the incident and strict action would be taken against the offenders.
The blaze was reported in one of the operation theatres at the state-run hospital around 12.40 pm.
What did the hospital say?
The incident took place when a spark was reported in a monitor which led to the fire that first spread to the workstation and then to the entire operation theatre, a statement issued by SGPGIMS said.
All patients admitted in the operation wing were rushed to the post-operative ICU.
The firefighting system was immediately activated and the fire was brought under control, the hospital added.
A female patient who was undergoing endosurgery in the operation theatre could not be saved, the statement said.
Besides, a child, about one-month-old, who was undergoing heart surgery at the time of the incident was brought out to the ICU because of smoke and resuscitated but he could not be saved, it added.
According to a senior official of the SGPGIMS, the woman died as she inhaled smoke and suffered burn injuries.
The child was taken out but died due to his weak heart condition, the official added.
Aftermath of the fire
The fire caused chaos at the hospital. As soon as the fire broke out, there was a stampede-like situation on the spot, said eyewitnesses.
The entire hospital was evacuated. The complex of the hospital was seen covered by smoke after the fire incident.
More than half a dozen fire brigade vehicles were at the spot to douse the fire.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the fire incident and directed senior officers and fire brigade teams to reach the spot and carry out relief work expeditiously.
The Chief Minister directed the district administration officials to immediately take the injured to the hospital and provide proper treatment.
