Ujjain: Based on the report filed by the probe panel, the Madhav Nagar police on Wednesday registered two FIRS against 5 directors of Patidar Hospital, where fire broke out on April 4.
The directors have been accused of criminal negligence which lead to the fire and the deaths of the patients who received burns in the incidient.
One more succumbs, toll 2
One 80-year-old Kanhaiyyalal Chaurishiya of Vivekanand Colony who suffered burns during the fire at Patidar Hospital died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Indore on Wednesday evening. The fire incident toll has reached two as on Tuesday an elderly woman had died while undergoing treatment in Indore.
Hospital management’s apathy shocks kin
The kin of the deceased were in for a shock as they tried to enquire about the wellbeing of their patient. Kanhaiyyalal’s grandson Parichay Chaurasia said when he called at the hospital at 4.30 pm today, he was told that his grandfather is doing well but the manner in which the doctor spoke to him, raised doubts. So he and his family members rushed to Greater Kailash Hospital. There the hospital staff tried to prevent them from going to the ICU. However, despite the resistance, his kin somehow managed to reach Kanhaiyalal’s bed. Their worst fear came true as they found their loved one lying on the bed with all tubes removed from his body. No one bothered to tell them about what has transpired between the phone call and their discovery of the sordid state of affairs at the hospital which has spelled misery for their patient.
When the family members raised objection about the condition of their patient, they were told that he had died.
Family members their patient caught a lung infection due to the exposure to the thick smoke during the fire. He died on Tuesday due to shortness of breath, they added.
Not just this, the kin were in for some more cold-shouldering at the hands of the hospital management. When they asked about the formalities for receiving the body of their loved one the hospital management refused to divulge any information.
“Later, the hospital management declined to hand over the body saying that they would hand it over only to the Indore Municipal Corporation on Thursday morning,” Parichay added.
TI declines to reveal names of directors
TI Manish Lodha told Free Press that on behalf of the government, 5 directors of Patidar Hospital have been booked under Section 285 (whoever does, with fire or any combustible matter, any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or to be likely to cause hurt or injury to any other person, or knowingly or negligently omits to take such order with any fire or any combustible matter in his possession as is sufficient to guard against), 287 (whoever does, with any machinery, any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or to be likely to cause hurt or injury to any other person, or knowingly or negligently omits to take such order with any machinery in his possession or under his care as is sufficient to guard against any probable danger to) and 337 (whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both) of IPC.
On the application of deceased Savitri Shrivastava’s son Sanjay (police inspector) a case under Section 304 (A) (whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) of the IPC has been registered against the same directors.
When asked about the names of accused directors, the TI declined to disclose information stating some court order.
‘Will be used as dedicated C-hospital’
The investigation team constituted by the collector to examine the cause of the fire incident at Patidar Hospital, submitted its report to collector on Tuesday. The investigation team comprising Ujjain SDM Govind Dubey, CSP Madhav Nagar Hemlata Agrawal, FSL officer Preeti Gaikwad and Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s fire officer Ajay Singh Rajput probed whether the hospital management ensured that adequate fire safety arrangements are in place on the hospital premises and whether other safety norms are complied with.
On being contacted, collector Asheesh Singh confirmed that the investigation report has been received. According to him, the committee recommended that an FIR be lodged against the hospital management and the licence of the hospital should be cancelled. A show cause notice has been issued to the hospital management with regard to cancellation of licence, collector said adding that after repair of the hospital it will be used solely as at the Covid-19 Care Hospital for the time being.
Incident and first death
An 85-year-old patient Savitri Shrivastava who received burn injuries during blaze at city’s Patidar Hospital died during treatment at SAIMS in Indore on Tuesday morning.
Her son Sanjay Shrivastava, is working as inspector with police department. He was an eyewitness of the incident.
He alleged said that after the fire broke out, chaos and panic ensued but the hospital staff left the patients and their kin to fend for themselves. The hospital’s fire hydrant line was found to be defunct while few fire extinguishers which were found on the premises were found to be inadequate.
Sanjay’s mother and wife were admitted to the ward. Holding the hospital management responsible for the untimely death of his mother, Shrivastava demanded that an offence be registrated under Section 302 of the IPC against the owners and hospital management.
The blaze began at noon and could be controlled only after the fire brigade team arrived. Meanwhile, volunteers and kin somehow managed to shift their patients to safety to other hospitals.
A total of 62 corona patients among 80 others who were under treatment at the four-storey Patidar Hospital survived the inferno scare on Sunday. Their family members were also on the hospital premises.
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