Kendrapara: A fire in the paediatric ward of the district headquarters hospital Saturday afternoon sent panic waves among attendants and sick children. However, there were no casualties or injuries, according to Baishnab Charan Sahu, CDMO of Kendrapara.
The fire was caused by an electric short circuit, sources said. Within a few minutes, smoke engulfed the entire paediatric unit, they said and added the sick children and their attendants rushed out of the ward to save themselves from smoke and possible fire tragedy.
According to Manguli Mallick, who admitted his sick grandson for treatment, said, “Short circuit occurred at an electric board which was just over the bed of my grandson. As a result, smoke started emitting from the electric board and within a few minutes smoke engulfed the entire ward. Panicked, I started running out by holding my grandson. Later, the other attendants started running to save themselves from suffocation.”
Some attendants and the medical staff later doused the flames with the help of a fire extinguisher, said CDMO Sahu.
Sanjay Kumar Sahu, an attendant, said they had brought the problems in the electric board to the notice of the hospital authorities, particularly the foul smell of wire burning, a day earlier. But the authorities did not pay any heed to it, resulting in Saturday’s short circuit, he added.
As a result, power supply went off in the paediatric ward and the patients and their attendants had to sweat it out in the summer heat.
CDMO Sahu stated that steps had been taken to repair the electric board and provide power to the paediatric ward.
