Chennai: A fire broke out in the surgical ward of the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital here on Wednesday at around 11 am. Around 100 patients in the ward were evacuated safely, and no casualties have been reported so far. The fire tenders rushed to the spot as soon as they were informed about the mishap and doused it after a three-hour-long ordeal.
Though the reason for the fire breakout has not been ascertained yet, the fire department officials suspect it to be a cylinder explosion in the block as the rescue operation continues. The firemen also reportedly brought skylift cranes to the spot for the rescue operation.
Chief Minister M K Stalin paid a visit to the hospital to take a look at the situation. State Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Principal Secretary Radhakrishnan also reached the spot of the accident. Informing about the situation, Radhakrishnan said, "All patients have been evacuated safely. The fire broke out in one of the older buildings, the new three blocks are safe from fire. So far no report of casualties or injuries has been reported."
"Electrical failure (short circuit) is the suspected cause of the blaze. The Intensive Care Unit and other wards are on the same floor where the fire broke out. Soon after information was received fire tenders reached the spot. All the patients who were on that floor were shifted safely to other wards," the Health Minister told reporters.
The Minister said that Chief Minister M K Stalin instructed him and the Health Secretary to personally inspect the measures being taken to extinguish the fire caused by an electrical short circuit. "About 99 patients including 33 patients in the neurological ward on the second floor, 26 other patients, 40 patients in the cardiac block besides 3 in ICU were safely evacuated."
Indicating that 'poor building maintenance during the last 10 years of the AIADMK regime could have led to the incident, Subramanian said steps would be taken to construct two new blocks after consulting the Chief Minister. A TNFRS official said that the accident occurred on a floor that houses an ICU and wards. "Oxygen cylinders and medical devices are also kept on the same floor. Three oxygen cylinders have exploded due to the incident," he said.
Subramanian, accompanied by Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and Chennai Mayor R Priya and senior officials rushed to the spot and monitored the rescue and firefighting operations.
