Fire outbreak in Lucknow’s KGMU triggers panic, patients shifted from ICU

There were 12 patients in the ICU ward when the incident took place around 9 am. Fortunately, no one sustained any injury due to the fire outbreak.

LUCKNOW: Several patients had to be shifted to the high dependency unit (HDU) of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) after one of the monitors inside the ICU at Gandhi Ward caught fire on Monday morning. Fortunately, no one sustained any injury due to the fire outbreak.

There was some panic among the attendants of the patients as the news of the fire spread. (HT PHOTO)

“Our medical staff immediately shifted all patients to another ward. No patient faced any adverse medical condition. The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. A technical team is trying to find out the reason behind the fire,” said Dr D Himanshu, KGMU’s medical superintendent.

There was some panic among the attendants of the patients as the news of the fire spread. However, the medical staff was able to pacify them. The ICU in question is run under the department of medicine at KGMU. There were 12 patients in the ICU ward when the incident took place around 9 am.

Following the blaze, all monitors were switched off. To ensure that no lapses remain and the ICU is ready for use again, a team was checking all electrical wiring at the time of filing this report.

Patient given ‘empty’ oxygen cylinder

In another development at KGMU’s medicine department ICU, a patient was allegedly given an empty oxygen cylinder. A purported video of the incident has gone viral. In the video, an attendant of the patient can be seen pointing towards the oxygen cylinder and saying that it’s empty. However, the hospital management has refuted the allegation. “There is no possibility of a patient getting an empty oxygen cylinder. Such cylinders are noticed immediately. The attendants may have got confused,” said Dr Sudhir Singh, spokesperson, KGMU.