A recent report reveals shocking failures in the system during a fire incident at a major hospital in Rajasthan, where staff ignored warnings from patients' families while fleeing the scene.
The fire incident at the SMS Hospital in Jaipur has revealed significant systemic failures in emergency response and hospital management. A report from the investigative committee indicates that alarms were raised, not by the hospital staff but by the family members of patients, who alerted the staff about a potential fire due to a short circuit in the ICU-2 around 11:30 PM. However, despite repeated warnings, staff did not take action until smoke began to billow from the storage area. This delayed response raises serious concerns about the hospital’s preparedness for emergencies.
Moreover, the investigation highlighted that the location of the fire was inherently dangerous as it was situated adjacent to a storage room packed with flammable materials such as medications, cotton, and spirits. Originally planned for 12 beds, the ICU-2 area had been altered, with bed number 12 replaced by a storage room, compounding the risk of a fire hazard. This lack of adherence to safety protocols places patients at dire risk and speaks volumes about the regulatory oversights in hospital infrastructure.
Lastly, the report details that during the period when the fire started, the hospital staff spent precious time searching for a key to unlock the storage room instead of initiating an evacuation or firefighting response. The fact that there was a lock on the storage area during a critical moment emphasizes the need for immediate reforms in hospital safety protocols. The incident not only reflects a failure in individual response but also in the overarching accountability systems within public health facilities in the state.
