Jaipur: A devastating fire tore through the trauma centre of Jaipur’s government-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital late Sunday, resulting in the deaths of six critically ill patients. The incident has raised serious concerns over hospital safety protocols and emergency response measures.
According to hospital officials, the fire originated in the storage section of the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where 11 patients were undergoing treatment. Preliminary reports suggest an electrical short circuit may have triggered the blaze. Dr. Anurag Dhakad, who oversees the trauma centre, confirmed the fire broke out around midnight, engulfing part of the ICU before fire crews could gain control.
The tragedy has left families of the victims anguished, with several alleging that warnings about electrical faults had been raised earlier but were ignored by staff. Eyewitnesses claimed smoke alarms failed to sound in time and accused hospital personnel of being slow to respond during the critical early minutes of the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences to the bereaved families. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote, “The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”
State authorities have ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire and whether standard safety measures were being followed. Meanwhile, public outcry over the hospital’s emergency preparedness continues to grow as grieving families demand accountability.
