In last three years, there has been three incidents in hospitals of SMS Medical College.
On July 18, 2023, fire had broken out in JK Lone Children Hospital with no casualty reported. Later on January 4, 2024, fire had broken out in the microbiology laboratory of SMS hospital and medical college. Expensive machines, medical equipments and documents turned into ashes. There was no report of any casualty or loss of life in the fire.
Now the fire at the ICU of Trauma centre turned out to be deadly engulfing 8 lives. Those who had come with hope of treatment, ended up being an eerie testimony of carelessness, insensitivity and gross callousness.
The state government has no ready answer as to how and why fire spread. Who is accountable for this and why the people on duty didn't react swiftly to control it at first point.
Clueless, a 6-member committee has been constituted to submit a detailed report on the ‘massacre'.
However there is another timeline given to file the report. No action has been taken yet. No officer has been penalised yet. Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, BJP leaders and other leaders of opposition have made customary visit to the site consoling the victims' families.
Why no announcement of compensation made yet?
The state government has not made any announcement of compensation to the families who came to hospital with hope of early cure and discharge. Patients did get discharged from the hospital but this time they will not head to their homes but to cemetery. For no fault of theirs.
The state government should pay for the callousness and carelessness which cost 8 invaluable lives and a big erosion in the trust and faith of more than 60 million people of Rajasthan who come to SMS Hospital – the largest in the state – for treatment.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
