Chandigarh: Fire at PGI’s cardiac centre OT during surgery, no casualty

Medical superintendent Vipin Koushal said the fire occurred in operation theatre-2 of the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery (CTVS) ward when a valve surgery of a 70-year-old woman was underway. The patient was shifted to the intensive care unit, where the surgery resumed.

Dr Koushal said, “Initial reports suggest that the fire occurred after a short circuit, but an investigation is on to ascertain the exact reason.”

This is the fifth fire incident at PGIMER in the past five months and the second in 2024.

Last year, the campus saw two major fire incidents in October. The first was a blaze at Nehru Hospital on October 10 in which 424 patients, including pregnant women and newborn babies, were evacuated.

Another fire followed within a week, this time at the Advanced Eye Centre on October 16. In both cases, sparking in the UPS batteries sparked off the fire.

Yet another fire broke out near the laundry plant on November 21, 2023. Though no one was injured, the reason behind the blaze still remains unknown.

Meanwhile, Dr Koushal said that the fire control wing of PGIMER was informed immediately and the blaze was brought under control within minutes on Saturday afternoon.

As a preventive measure, he said, glass windows were broken to prevent suffocation.

The medical superintendent said there are four OTs on the floor and after the fire incident two were operational. “We are working to make the third OT functional on priority,” he added.

Sapna, an attendant from Ludhiana, said that after her son’s surgery got over, she was called to the operation theatre but by then smoke engulfed the area. “We were unable to see anything,” she said.

Rozi, a resident of Kharar, recounted how during his relative’s surgery, children and patients were evacuated from the operation theatre to Block A.