Home / Health / ICU Fire Deaths: Hospital Denies Lapses, Cites Patient Conditions
ICU Fire Deaths: Hospital Denies Lapses, Cites Patient Conditions
21 Mar
Summary
- Five patients died in the surgical ICU after a fire incident.
- Hospital authorities denied any care lapses, citing pre-existing conditions.
- Forensic reports indicated deaths were due to patient injuries, not the fire.
A fire incident on March 17 in the surgical intensive care unit of the Government Medical College hospital in Thiruvananthapuram has led to controversy following the deaths of five patients in the subsequent days. Hospital authorities have strongly refuted allegations that the fire or the subsequent relocation of patients contributed to their demise.
They issued a statement characterizing the linking of patient deaths to the fire as unfortunate and inaccurate, asserting that no formal complaints had been received. The fire originated from a malfunctioning ventilator and was quickly contained by hospital staff. Sixteen patients from the ICU and an adjacent ward were safely moved to alternate facilities.
Hospital superintendent C.G. Jayachandran emphasized that all deceased patients were victims of severe road traffic accidents with documented poor prognoses. Post-mortem examinations were conducted as standard procedure for such cases. The Forensic Department has reportedly concluded that the patients' extensive injuries, not the fire, were the cause of death.
