Kin of victims accuse SMS Hospital staff of negligence after patients 'scheduled to be discharged in 2-3 days' die in fire

Families of the Jaipur hospital fire have slammed the staff for negligence, which they say led to the death of their loved ones. Multiple people have shared heartbreaking stories that their family members were on the verge of being discharged from the hospital when the fire broke out, claiming their lives. Late Sunday (Oct 5) night, a fire ripped through the Trauma ICU of Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, killing six patients and leaving five others critical. The blaze broke out on the second floor of the Trauma Centre, where 24 patients were admitted — 11 in the Trauma ICU and 13 in a nearby semi-ICU. The fire spread quickly, releasing toxic smoke that engulfed the ward before staff and relatives could react. Trauma Centre in-charge Dr Anurag Dhakad revealed that the blaze was triggered by a short circuit.

No fire equipment, staff ignored family's warnings

Distraught relatives have accused staff of negligence and a lack of safety measures. “When there was a spark, there was a cylinder beside it. The smoke spread throughout the ICU, causing everyone to flee in panic. Some managed to rescue their own patients, but mine was left alone in the room. As the gas spread further, they shut the gates,” said Puran Singh, whose relative was admitted to the ICU.

Narendra Singh, whose mother was one of the victims of the fire, told ANI that he was having dinner when the tragic blaze broke out. "There wasn't even any equipment to douse the fire - no facilities were available."

Om Prakash, whose 25-year-old cousin also perished in the fire, alleged that doctors and compounders fled, leaving behind patients. "Only four to five patients were evacuated. Tragically, my maternal aunt's son, Pintu, lost his life due to the incident. He was about to recover and was scheduled to be discharged in two to three days," he told NDTV.

Another man, Jogendra Singh, echoed this and said that he had warned doctors multiple times about sparks but was ignored. “When the spark occurred, I alerted the doctors four to five times that it was coming from there, but they dismissed it as normal. Suddenly, smoke engulfed the area, and all the staff ran out, leaving no one to help or save my mother,” he said. He said that his brother was also trapped in the fire, "Somehow, I managed to rescue my brother, but he is now in a critical condition".

Hospital refutes allegations

Speaking to the press, Dhakad, the Trauma Centre In-Charge, claimed that the hospital staff immediately began evacuations using trolleys, but six critical patients — two women and four men — could not be revived despite CPR. "We used a fire extinguisher and called the fire brigade. The electric current was also spreading. Eight of the patients died of burns and suffocation. We will have more clarity following a post-mortem."