- At the best of times, the Indian proclivity to grossly neglect basic safety and security aspects in our day-to-day lives is not only well documented but also known across every spectrum of society, including government authorities. Moreso, in our healthcare infrastructure, like government hospitals, where incidents/accidents of sheer neglect leading to loss of lives have become increasingly regular. However, very little is actioned on the ground vis-à-vis ensuring none of the basic safety and security aspects are compromised to such an extent that patients admitted for serious illnesses are subjected to misery. As you are aware, a spate of recent occurrences in several hospitals across the country must be a serious cause of concern.
PC: The Hindu
- As reported recently, yet another government hospital witnessed a fire incident, and more hapless patients were killed in the bargain. Yes, brace up for usual platitudes, statements, and claims of initiating suitable measures, bringing the negligent officials to book, and forget about everything till the next fire incident occurs. When a fire breaks out at a hospital, something that seems to happen with dreadful regularity here, some patients are particularly vulnerable. For instance, when a blaze swept through the NICU ward in Jhansi’s Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in November 2024, it killed 11 newborns. Likewise, when the ICU in Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital caught fire last Sunday night, it was the critical patients, six of them, who lost their lives.
PC: NDTV
- Rescue protocols obviously give high priority to patients who have suboptimal mobility, life-support requirements, and other special vulnerabilities. But there is little hope of these protocols being observed when basic fire safety standards aren’t. Patients’ attendants have given horrifying accounts of what happened in Jaipur this weekend. Per this, the staff both ignored early warnings of the fire and abandoned patients during the fire. On the other hand, staff have cited their own injuries to say they tried their best. One congruency between all the accounts is that it was a chaotic situation. Was this chaos excusable? Not if the fire safety equipment, compliance, and training were lacking. Political voices promise a swift probe with the same alacrity expressing grief.
PC: South China Morning Post
- However, as we near the death anniversary of the Jhansi newborns, all we seem to have to blame for their deaths is a short circuit and missing sprinklers. The tragic odds are that Rajasthan will no more see a meta audit than Uttar Pradesh did. Studies show that the overwhelming majority (78% in one accounting) of significant hospital fires in India are caused by short circuits and take place at night. These further suggest that simple adaptations can help mitigate the risks and save lives. But this first needs curing government amnesia between one tragedy and the next. Although rising healthcare demand needs increased healthcare capacity, substandard facilities bring as much harm as help. The government must ensure exemplary accountability, including criminal culpability for the lapses. That is what the afflicted families need rather than rote condolences.
