Daijiworld Media Network – Jaipur

Jaipur, Oct 6: In a tragic incident, eight critically ill patients lost their lives after a massive fire broke out late Sunday night at the trauma centre of the state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur.

According to officials, the blaze erupted in the storage area of the Neuro ICU, where 11 patients were undergoing treatment. Trauma Centre in-charge Dr Anurag Dhakad said a suspected short circuit is believed to have caused the fire.

Thick smoke quickly spread across the floor, triggering panic among patients and their attendants. ICU equipment, medical records, blood sample tubes, and other stored materials were completely gutted.

Hospital staff and attendants acted swiftly to rescue patients, even wheeling out several on their beds to safety. Firefighters reached the scene soon after being alerted and managed to bring the situation under control within two hours.

Vikas, a ward boy present during the incident, recounted the harrowing moments. “We were inside the operating theatre when we heard about the fire. We rushed to rescue the patients and managed to save three to four of them. But as the flames intensified, it became impossible to go back in,” he said, adding that the police arrived later but could not enter immediately due to heavy smoke.

Firefighters had to break a window on the opposite side of the building to start dousing the flames, as the entire ward was engulfed in thick smoke.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the hospital to assess the situation.

When Patel and Bedham arrived, distraught attendants confronted them, alleging that some hospital staff fled during the fire and failed to share updates about their loved ones.

“We saw smoke and alerted the staff, but they ignored us. When the fire spread, they ran away. Now no one is telling us about our patients’ condition,” one attendant said in anguish.

Chief Minister Sharma later met with doctors and patients, assuring that a detailed inquiry would be conducted to determine the cause of the tragedy and ensure accountability.