Recurring fire incidents at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack raise serious concerns over fire safety, infrastructure maintenance and patient protection
OdishaPlus Bureau
The recent fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital, killing ten ICU patients, has once again highlighted the critical issue of fire safety in one of Odisha’s largest and oldest government medical institutions. Although the latest incident is a severe one, it is not the first occurrence of such emergencies at this facility.
Over the last ten years, numerous fires—primarily attributed to suspected electrical short circuits—have been reported in various departments of the hospital, raising concerns regarding infrastructure maintenance and safety preparedness.
One significant incident took place in May 2016 when a fire erupted in the cardiology department. The blaze originated in a duty room on the second floor and rapidly filled adjacent wards with smoke. Hospital officials and fire personnel responded promptly to evacuate nearly one hundred patients, including several from critical care units. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties, but the event raised widespread alarm about the hospital’s fire safety measures.
In the aftermath of this incident, authorities were urged to enhance firefighting infrastructure and perform regular safety audits throughout the extensive campus.
In subsequent years, several smaller fires were reported from various sections of the hospital. These incidents included occurrences in the hepatology department, the surgical operation theatre complex, the pathology department, and even a record room where vital documents were damaged.
Another minor fire was reported in a small commercial outlet located within the hospital grounds. While these incidents resulted in limited damage and no loss of life, they underscored ongoing vulnerabilities in the hospital’s electrical systems and safety management. Fire officials and safety experts have repeatedly stressed the need for systematic electrical inspections, modern fire detection systems, and regular mock drills in large hospitals like SCB, which handle thousands of patients every day.
The hospital, which was founded in 1944 and operates as a leading tertiary care facility in Odisha, caters to patients from throughout the state and surrounding areas. Given its extensive number of wards, specialized departments, and significant patient volume, maintaining rigorous fire safety standards is deemed essential.
The Sunday fire incident has reignited discussions regarding the consistency of adequate preventive measures being enforced. Authorities have promised that investigations will be carried out to ascertain the cause of the fire and to evaluate the current safety protocols.
In the meantime, healthcare advocates and civil society organizations have urged for thorough safety enhancements, cautioning that recurrent fire incidents in hospitals could jeopardize the safety of vulnerable patients who may struggle to evacuate swiftly.
As investigations proceed, the ongoing incidents at SCB underscore the pressing necessity for more robust safety measures to avert such emergencies in the future.
