SUM Hospital Fire: Centre, NHRC Train Guns on Odisha Government

The Union Health Minister said the Odisha govt must act against those responsible & the NHRC has sought a report.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda has called for stringent guidelines to prevent incidents like the fire in Odisha’s SUM Hospital on Monday. The minister also criticised the Odisha government, saying it must take strict action in the matter.

The death toll in the incident has gone up to 24, with one more fatality being reported on Friday.

After visiting the hospital and patients who were transferred to AMRI, AIIMS, Capital Hospital and KIMS, Nadda said that everyone responsible for the incident should be punished. He also said that SUM Hospital did not have a fire clearance.

I will ask my officials to revisit the issue and make stringent provisions so that guidelines are followed. In this incident, one aspect that has come up is that the said hospital did not have clearance of fire safety measures.

JP Nadda, Union Health Minister

The Odisha government is also facing the music for the incident from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The NHRC issued a notice to the state government, seeking a report in the incident within six weeks. The fire was allegedly caused by a short circuit in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Nadda also came down hard on the Odisha government saying that the state has to take action in the incident. He said:

The state government has to take care. We are waiting for the state government’s inquiry report; they need to take action. The Centre will issue a new advisory. It is an issue, why are diseases like Japanese encephalitis and malaria happening in Odisha time and again?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered his condolences to the families of the dead.

Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2016

The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday, announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of those who died in the fire.

Expenses for treatment of the injured persons in the fire incident to be borne by State Government from CM relief fund 1/2

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 17, 2016

Ordered Revenue Divisional commissioner to enquire in to this very tragic incident 2/2

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 17, 2016

The Siksha ‘O' Anusandhan (SOA) University, which runs the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

Patnaik, who travelled to Delhi on Tuesday, also announced free treatment to the survivors of the fire incident.

Even as the Centre is awaiting a report on the incident, Nadda has asked for a fresh advisory to all the state governments to avoid such incidents in the future.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)