Bhubaneswar: Devi Prasad was sitting at his father’s bedside in the ICU of SUM hospital here Monday evening when he was alarmed by screams of people outside. He paused for a few seconds only to be encountered by a whiff of smoke which billowed into the ward. Then Devi wasted no time. He stood up and physically lifted his ailing father on to his shoulder before wriggling out of the glass cabin.
Devi then looked around for an ambulance but found none coming in his direction when he hired an autorickshaw and reached AMRI hospital along with his father Ramesh Chandra Dash.
The doctors at AMRI, however, admitted his father into the ICU after first-aid and formalities. He could have lost his father had he waited for a few more minutes for the ambulance service.
He had admitted his father at the SUM hospital October 7 after dialysis as he was suffering from a malignant kidney-related ailment. “The SUM hospital people are simply irresponsible,’’ he snapped in disgust.
Bhikhari Charan Jena was admitted to the same hospital for a lungs surgery. Jena was operated upon for cancer a few minutes ago when the fire erupted at the ICU and dialysis ward on the second floor of the hospital. Soon after his daughter Rashmi escorted by the SUM hospital officials shifted Jena to the AMRI hospital. Rashmi Rai has been attending on her father for quite some time.
In another case, Sarojini Senapati, a patient suffering from multiple organ disorder, was first rushed to AMRI and then to Capital Hospital. Her relative Satyaprakash said she was suffering from heart and lungs problem and was under ventilator support since October 14. “It is a miracle that she still survives after the trauma,’’ said Satyaprakash.
Anupam (19), son of Pradeep Kumar Panda, was admitted to SUM hospital October 7 after suffering from burn injuries. Around 7:45 Monday evening Pradeep was aghast to see a thick cloud of smoke emanating from the ICU when he rushed into the ward and lifted his son on his shoulder and ran out of the hospital. She, however, thanked the hospital authorities for taking care of his son and discharged them immediately after the mishap to help him get admitted to Capital Hospital.
Subhendu Nayak who was admitted to SUM hospital 20 days ago with burn injuries was shifted to KIMS soon after the fire mishap. Authorities of KIMS, where Subhendu was was operated upon and discharged, demanded `1460 from his father Daitari Nayak. ‘‘In such critical condition some private hospitals like this do not feel ashamed of looting poor people like us,’’ said Daitari.
Arindam Ganguly
Post News Network
