13 COVID patients die in hospital fire in Maharashtra's Palghar

Palghar:The blaze at a hospital in western India comes as the country grapples with the world's biggest daily surge of COVID infections since the beginning of the pandemic.Friday's fire came two days after 22 COVID-19 patients died at another hospital in the same state due to an oxygen leak. Last month, a fire at a Mumbai clinic killed 11. 

Thirteen COVID patients were killed in a fire at Vijay Vallabh Hospital after air conditioner exploded in an ICU Ward at Virar in Palghar district in the wee hours of Friday.

Hospital sources said, the incident occurred around 0315 hours.As many as 17 patients are being treated in ICU ward.Of these, 13 were killed while four have been shifted to other hospital, sources added.

The relatives of the patients in the ICU and of those dead in the fire were seen yelling at the police who did not allow their entry into the hospital.The relatives were not given any information from the hospital management they alleged in a wordy duel with the police.

Some of them complained that they had to engage private nurses to attend to the patients and when they came to the hospital in the early hours they found only one nurse and there were no doctors at all.

One of the relatives of the patient, who works as a nurse in another hospital told the media that on Thursday at around 1230 hrs when she had come to give food to her sister she found that the AC mechanic was repairing the AC duct.

The centralized ac was malfunctioning and hence fans had been arranged. Foul smell was emanating from the AC duct she said. The hospital has a centralised AC system.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered a probe and asked the administration to probe if proper fire safety measures were taken by the private hospital or not, he said.

The local MLA Hitendra Thakur talking to the media at the site said that there were some lapses and there is a dire need to go into it and find out if it was from the administration and management.

Not only in Vasai or Virar, the entire state facilities need to be checked and now our priority is to provide relief to the patients and the relatives, he said.

The senior BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya told the media and also tweeted, “Maharashtra me Covid Mrutyu ka Tandav Suru hai. Virar Covid hospital fire 13 dead. Thackeray Sarkar should immediately take help of Government of India and Army for Covid Health.”Oxygen and fire audit of Covid centers should be done by professional experts, MP Kirit Somaiya demanded.

Mah Guv expresses grief over Palghar hospital fire

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has expressed sadness over the incident of fire in the ICU of the Vijay Vallabh Hospital at Virar earlier on Friday.In a message, Governor Koshyari wrote "I was extremely saddened to learn about the news of the death of a few Coronavirus patients in the fire at the ICU of a private Hospital in Virar earlier today. I convey my deepest condolences to the families of the unfortunate victims and wish speedy recovery to the injured patients."