Barisal Correspondent :An incident of fire at Barisal Sher-e- Bangla Medical College Hospital created panic in around the total campus on Sunday noon.After visiting the hospital it was learnt that this public and largest hospital in southern region lack minimum fire safety measures.A fire was broken out in the storeroom on the fourth floor of the hospital at about 1:30 pm Sunday noon.Fire Service was called immediately seeing the smoke from the room and it was extinguished within half an hour. At least four were injured due to chaotic condition and trying to leave the building during this time.However seeing smoke and hearing about breaking out fire in the hospital created panic and chaos among the patients, attendants, visitors and employees of the hospital, said Asadul, a patient of burn injury residing at the surgery-4 unit of the hospital. Many men from different floor of the five-storied hospital including myself tried to going out of the building through staircase, he added. Alauddin Mia, station officer of Barisal fire service and civil defense station, said the fire may be broken out from electric short-circuits and damaged bedding items, some furniture and utensils preserving in the godown.He acknowledging the panicky situation created in the hospital said the big five storied hospital building serving hundreds of people has many flammable items, but has no fire security measures. As the incident happened under daylight, so it saved many ones from fatal injuries.Kamrul Hasan Selim, director SBMCH, acknowledging the facts said the construction and maintenances of the building depends on public works department and PWD could manage fire-safety measures at any time.Zakir Hossain, executive engineer PWD Barisal office, acknowledging the facts of absence of fire-safety measures at SBMCH main campus, said the building was constructed more than forty-five years ago and at that time fire-safety measures were not compulsory for construction of building. New buildings constructed at the premise following the building construction code.However Murad Ahmed, a former member of the SBMCH management committee, denying the expiation of the hospital and PWD authority said the meetings of the committee several times discussed, noticed and pressed the issue but failed to make them aware. Even newly constructed buildings also lacked from fire safety measures. Construction date of building could not be explained at lack of fire safety measurement and installation of fire extinguisher, construction of separate staircases for emergency exit at the five storied hospital building could be done at any moment.
