20220503 Minor fire at SVP, patients evacuated
India May 03 2022 “Building” “Hospitals”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 1 to 9
Minor fire at SVP, patients evacuated
Updated: 2022-05-03
AHMEDABAD: Thick smoke caused by a fire in a medical garbage heap on the third floor of SVP hospital near Ellis Bridge spread panic among patients and their relatives around 5.55pm on Monday. Of around 100 patients undergoing treatment at the hospital, nearly 55 including some children from the neonatal ICU unit were shifted out of the hospital.
ICU patients from the third and fourth floors were also shifted out of the building. Some paramedics were seen pushing stretchers with 2-3 patients on them, and some patients were still on ventilators when they were being moved out. Nurses were spotted carrying small toddlers out of the building.
On hearing the news, panic-stricken relatives rushed to the building entrance. They were seen arguing with the administrative staff and the security personnel for information regarding the safety of patients and where they were being moved.
Fire officials said that fire had broken out in a garbage bag containing plastic medical waste near the main duct of the air handling unit on that floor. The duct runs between blocks A and B. Officials are yet to figure out how the bag caught fire.
Fire officials claim that the AHU unit of the hospital mainly filters and controls the humidity and quality of the air that reaches the interiors of the building. It also regulates the air temperatures and the air-conditioning as well.
In-charge chief director officer (AFES) Jayesh Khadia told TOI, “The hospital’s fire sprinklers activated immediately and smoke cleared in 10 minutes. A proper investigation on what caused the fire is still on.”
Mayor Kirit Parmar arrived an hour later by which time the patients were shifted back.
Web Source: The Times of India