Doctors risked their lives to save others from Mumbai hospital fire

Eight people, including a two-month-old infant, were killed in a fire that broke out at the state-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital in Andheri on Monday.

Four doctors and two staff members of the ESIC hospital , where fire broke out on Monday evening, were also part of the rescue team which ended up saving lives, but in turn landed them in hospital.

Fire engines are parked in front of a partially damaged hospital after it caught fire in the suburbs of Mumbai, December 17, 2018. (Reuters)

Senior doctors from the hospital said that Dr Dinesh was checking the condition of patients under his care when the fire broke out.

“The doctor immediately looked out for a child who he had operated just a day before. He saw that the child wasn’t accompanied by anyone. He then carried the child and made a run for the exit. While he successfully escaped the premises, in the process he also inhaled smoke and sustained trauma injuries due to the struggle,” said Dr RK Kataria from ESIC Hospital.

The deputy medical superintendent of the hospital Dr Sushma Sutar also played an importaant role in helping patients escape before they could face smoke inhalation injuries.

However, she had to be rescued by the firefighters as she failed to escape and was moved to Holy Spirit Hospital.