Cuttack: A day after fire caused extensive damage to the Cardiology ward of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, the Health department today ordered a third party probe into the incident.
Informing this to the media after presiding over a meeting with SCB authorities in the presence of Health Secretary Arati Ahuja, Health and Family Welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the investigating agency has been asked to submit its probe report within a week.
Referring to the fire-fighting system in the hospital, the minister said the department would make a detailed inspection of the existing system very soon.
Apart from the SCB Hospital, the department would also inspect the fire-fighting system in Sishu Bhawan and Achyara Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar as a preventive measure.
"For inspection of fire-fighting measures in private hospitals, the Health department has formed a committee headed by the district collector. The collectors have been empowered to take action against the hospitals having no fire-fighting system," Nayak added.
Notably, fire had engulfed the duty room on the second floor of the Cardiology ward in the afternoon yesterday.
However, the hospital staff immediately evacuated the 60 patients from the second floor with the help of the attendants and informed the authorities. Later, three fire brigade teams rushed to the hospital and doused the fire within an hour.