Three patients died while as they were being shifted from Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s intensive care unit when a fire broke out on Wednesday. Another patient succumbed to injuries on Thursday. The fire at the ICU dedicated to Covid-19 patients could have been avoided had the DMCH authorities taken precautionary measures like emergency lift, fire extinguishers and regular fire safety checks. In a similar fire that broke out in the capital’s United Hospitals Covid-19 unit last July five patients were killed, but we took no lesson from the incident. A probe body fined United Hospital authority for their lack of preparedness. We demand strong action for negligence of five safety precautions at the government-run DMCH.
The cause of the fire that broke out at the ICU at the hospital’s new building is not clear, and a probe committee has been formed to investigate the incident. While accidents can happen anywhere any time, it is unacceptable that they should occur in a hospital, that too at the ICU where the most critical patients are treated. We hope the probe will unwrap if there was any negligence, especially in terms of having proper safety measures for electronic equipment installed of the largest hospital of the country. The hospital authorities with the help of the Fire Service and Civil Defence must make a thorough inspection of all Wards and unit of the hospitals where fire could break out and must ensure that fire-fighting equipment are there close at hand.
We demand thorough investigation to fix responsibility for the incident. If the investigation finds any trace of negligence the persons responsible must be given exemplary punishment. We hope the authorities will ensure that the families of the deceased receive adequate compensation. We believe the incident is a wake-up call for all hospitals to make sure that all their units, especially those that have specialised electronic equipment and electrical appliances, are regularly inspected and maintained. All public and private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres must take five safety precautions with assistance from the Fire Service and Civil Defence. The health authorities must made routine inspections to see if hospitals and clinics operate with fire safety clearance.
We know what is acceptable to the people is not important. Incompetence has become a national disease.
