In a pivotal development at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), the fact-finding committee investigating the recent fires presented its report to the institute director, twelve days after a major fire incident. The fire, which necessitated the late-night evacuation of over 400 patients from the Nehru block, led to a comprehensive inquiry.
The 14-member committee, led by acting dean academics Naresh Panda, had been tasked with submitting their report to the director within 48 hours of the incident. However, the extensive workload and the director’s absence for a period of five days delayed the report submission.
As per sources, in the findings of the committee’s report, the cause of the recent fires has been attributed to batteries, specifically Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) batteries. Furthermore, the committee has identified 20 specific areas within the hospital premises where UPS batteries pose a significant fire risk.
In response to these findings, PGIMER Director Professor Vivek Lal has issued an order mandating the relocation of all UPS rooms situated inside the hospital building. The institute has set a three-month deadline for compliance. More details will be mentioned by Prof Lal on coming Wednesday.
Dr. Lal has confirmed that he has received the report and is currently reviewing its contents. The financial committee responsible for assessing the damage to the Nehru Hospital building has estimated the overall loss to be approximately Rs 5 crore.
The initial fire, which occurred on the night of October 9-10, led to the evacuation of 424 patients, including pregnant women, newborn babies, children, and critically ill patients. Subsequently, another fire erupted in the basement of the Advanced Eye Center PGI on October 16, with no reported injuries or loss of life. In both instances, faulty batteries were identified as the root cause of the fires.
