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Odisha hospital fire: 4 officers suspended, opposition demands minister’s resignation
Odisha suspends 4 officials after SCB hospital fire kills 12; probe flags failed sprinklers, opposition demands health minister’s resignation
The Odisha government on Wednesday suspended four officers in connection with the fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack that killed 12. Meanwhile, the incident also triggered a political storm in the Assembly, with the opposition demanding the resignation of state health minister Mukesh Mahaling.
Acting on the report of a fact-finding team headed by the development commissioner, the state government suspended deputy fire officer Prakash Kumar Jena and assistant fire officer Sanjeeb Kumar Behera of the Cuttack Circle, station officer Abhinab Prusti of SCB, and assistant executive engineer Ranjan Kumar Biswal of the SCB sub-division under the General Electrical Division.
The blaze broke out around 2.30 am on Monday in the hospital’s trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where 23 patients were admitted in two rooms. Many of the victims were critically ill and asleep when the fire started, leaving little time to escape.
The fire exposed a cascade of failures — from a disabled sprinkler system to a defunct smoke detection system — according to a preliminary probe by a committee of officials.
A member of the probe team said the ICU’s automatic sprinkler system failed to activate as its control valve had been left closed, while the fire alarm system had also been switched off for several days. The probe found that the fire originated from two ventilator machines in the ICU that mechanically assist breathing for critical patients.
The issue reverberated in the Odisha legislative assembly on Wednesday, where members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) disrupted proceedings during Question Hour, pressing for Mahaling’s resignation. The Speaker adjourned the House twice.
BJD MLA Arun Sahoo alleged a “complete collapse” of the healthcare system, claiming the department was in a “coma” and had now “died”, and accused the government of failing to ensure accountability.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the charges, accusing the opposition of politicising the tragedy. BJP MLA Manas Dutta termed the incident unfortunate but pointed out that chief minister Mohan Majhi had already ordered a judicial inquiry and that the Health Minister had made a statement in the House.
A day earlier, leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik, who visited the hospital after the incident, had also demanded Mahaling’s resignation, calling the fire a reflection of “crumbling safety standards” and alleging administrative negligence. While welcoming the judicial probe, he said it did not absolve the political executive of responsibility.
Congress leader Ramachandra Kadam echoed the demand, stating that expressions of grief were inadequate and that the government must be held accountable for ensuring patient safety.
