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Fire break out in hosp’s emergency wing triggers panic
As dense smoke billowed from near the air conditioning unit, attendants swiftly evacuated the patients from the emergency wing.
LUCKNOW Panic gripped patients as fire broke out in the emergency wing of Rani Laxmi Bai Hospital in the Rajajipuram area of the state capital on Tuesday morning. This incident disrupted clinical work for over two hours. According to hospital staff, poor maintenance was the root cause of the fire.
As dense smoke billowed from near the air conditioning unit, attendants swiftly evacuated the patients from the emergency wing. “Suddenly, I saw smoke and felt like someone was burning plastic or rubber. The smoke engulfed the entire emergency area swiftly,” said an attendant who rushed outside with their patient.
The incident was attributed to a short circuit, as stated by hospital staff. “The fire broke out in the window air conditioner. Our staff managed to control the fire within minutes, and fortunately, no patients or staff were harmed,” said Dr Sangeeta Tandon, the chief medical superintendent of the hospital.
As the fire became apparent, a pharmacist named Sharad Patel ran out with the patient register and other documents, fearing they could fuel the flames. The fire occurred in the emergency ward (male) at around 11 am.
The air conditioner was fitted in a window next to the chair where Dr Ankit Srivastava was attending to patients while on emergency duty. Patients and attendants rushed out and gathered in an open area on the hospital campus. Dense smoke quickly covered the vicinity.
The fire brigade was summoned, but before they could reach the hospital, the hospital staff had already extinguished the fire. “As the compressor remained intact, there was no risk of a blast, and further damage was averted,” stated a fire station staff member.
By the afternoon, the hospital staff had cleaned the area, and emergency services resumed. The air conditioner, according to the staff, was approximately seven years old.
