Fire impact: Roorkee experts to upgrade SGPGI building

According to the committee,the fire took place due to a short circuit in the medical store. The spirit present in the store for medical usage added to the fire and the smoke also turned toxic because of it.

“We have invited experts from CBIR who will be here by Monday and recommend changes to the building which is now almost 30 years old,” said Dr R K Sharma,Director of SGPGI.

“We are planning to overhaul the fire fighting systems with intelligent upgradation with the aim that even if a fire breaks out in any part of the hospital,it is confined to that area and does not spread to any other part,” said Sharma.

“Currently,the service ducts in the building are all connected,which helped the smoke spread in other parts of the building apart from the emergency ward. We are planning to isolate area wise as a step of fire control,” added Sharma.

“The committee recommended more entry and exit points in the hospital to help prevent stampede in case of fire,” he said.

“We will make arrangements for the keys of all the exit doors to be kept near the doors in glass cases so that in case of emergency,people need not look for keys but break the case to procure them,” added the Director.

Following reports of death of a patient in the emergency due to lack of oxygen during the fire outbreak,the administration formed a committee to look into the matter and submit a report within three days.

“The records of the patients do not suggest that the death was due to lack of oxygen. But since there was a chaos,a probe committee will look into the matter,” said Sharma.