Late Tuesday night, a fire broke out in the labor room of the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital in Hazaribagh, creating a tense situation. Approximately 40 to 50 patients were present in the ward when the fire started. The sudden appearance of fire and smoke caused immediate alarm, with patients’ families reacting in panic. Initial investigations indicated the fire’s cause was an incense stick lit by a patient’s relative to keep mosquitoes away. Sparks from the incense are suspected to have come into contact with an oxygen pipe, rapidly spreading the fire and filling the ward with smoke. Recognizing the escalating danger, hospital staff quickly took action to relocate the patients to safety. The combined efforts of hospital staff and the patients’ families prevented a potentially serious outcome. All patients were successfully evacuated before any injuries could occur. Hospital staff managed to contain the fire using fire extinguishers.
The fire department was informed, but the fire was brought under control before their arrival. The incident fortunately resulted in no injuries or fatalities. Ranjan Choudhary, representing MP Manish Jaiswal, immediately went to the scene. He assessed the situation and expressed criticism of the hospital management’s perceived negligence. He pointed out that a significant loss of life was narrowly avoided thanks to the quick thinking of staff. The hospital administration has committed to improving safety protocols. They plan to issue specific guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future and will provide specialized training to hospital staff on emergency response procedures.
