Chandigarh: Late Night Fire Breaks Out In Nehru Hospital, 400 Patients Evacuated

Fire broke out at late night in Nehru Hospital block of PGIMER-Chandigarh on Monday forcing the evacuation of more than 400 patients, according to officials on Tuesday. There were no reported casualties in the incident.

Around 11.45 p.m. on Monday, a fire started in the computer room’s UPS system on the first floor, and smoke quickly reached higher floors, according to the officials. Eighty pregnant women and 34 patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) were among who were evacuated. The paediatric ward’s 17 patients who were receiving treatment as well as 56 babies were also relocated safely.

Fire tenders were sent to the scene right away and, after some time, fire was bought under control, according to the officials. After the fire was reported, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research’s (PGIMER) own emergency response system, the fire and emergency services, the disaster management departments, police, and all of these organisations immediately went into action.

As per sources, all the patients were evacuated safely. “We evacuated 424 patients. We have an extension building in Nehru Hospital where some of them were shifted. Everyone worked as a team in PGI with the Chandigarh Union Territory administration’s support,” PGIMER Medical Superintendent Vipin Koushal told PTI.

“There was no loss of life. But damage to property has taken place due to the fire and restoration work is being started,” he said. The window panes on some of the upper floors were broken to let the smoke out and prevent any suffocation incidents, the officials said.

A disaster management department official said, “All patients were safely evacuated, we cleared the ICU, respiratory ICU … Our rescue team worked in coordination with the police, the fire department and PGI departments.” The smoke and heat spread to the corridors due to which the patients from the adjoining areas’ advanced urology centre and male surgical ward were also shifted to safety to avoid any sort of suffocation incident, according to the statement. The patients were shifted to two different areas of Nehru Hospital and its extension block.

The authorities also moved the patients admitted in adjoining wards and corridors to other wards or ICUs to avoid any untoward incident as the smoke spread. The evacuation was done within 60 minutes and there was no loss of life. Around 2 am, all the services related to patient care were mostly restored, the statement said. Director Lal has instructed the engineering wing for immediate restoration of the affected areas. The areas affected will require major repairs and operation theatres and other facilities are expected to be made functional as soon as possible. At present, alternative arrangements have been made in other areas of the institute, Advanced Trauma Centre and the extension block.

With Agency Inputs

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