Patient on ventilator dies in Madhya Pradesh hospital; kin blame fire in AC, management denies charge

Gwalior, MP: A patient on a ventilator support died in the trauma care centre of a government-run hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior on Tuesday, with his family members blaming the fire that broke out in an air-conditioning unit there this morning, while its management denied the charge.

The incident occurred at Jayarogya Hospital.

The patient's family members said he died while being shifted out as smoke engulfed the room, while the hospital authorities claimed that the condition of the deceased was already serious, and added that nine other patients who were also admitted in the centre with him were still safe.

An air conditioning unit of the trauma centre caught fire in the morning, following which all the staff including medical superintendent reached the spot, Gajra Raja Medical College (GRMC) dean Dr R K S Dhakad said.

There were 10 patients on ventilator support in the trauma centre at that time and they were shifted to another room before the fire was brought under control, he said.

Abid Khan, whose father was undergoing treatment in the trauma care centre, claimed that his father was on a ventilator and was positioned just under the air conditioning unit where the fire broke out.

He alleged that his father died while he was being shifted as smoke engulfed the entire Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before it was controlled using fire extinguishers.

Khan claimed that his father Azad Khan died while being shifted.

Dr Dhakad, however, said that it was wrong to say that the patient died due to the blaze in the AC unit.

The patient was brought to the hospital from Shivpuri and underwent a brain surgery. He was an M-1 category patient, which is equivalent to being a brain dead person. The fire broke out at around 7 am while the patient died at 11.15 am, he said.

"Therefore, it would be wrong to say that the patient died due to the fire or shifting during that time," he said.

The dean said that only patients under serious condition were admitted to the trauma centre and they were shifted along with the ventilators. It would be wrong to say that the oxygen supply stopped during shifting, because the ventilator has a backup system, he said.

Dhakad said that the other nine patients admitted here are safe at the moment.

The fire was doused immediately using the fire extinguishers kept there, which were used by the doctor and paramedical staff present there, he said.