Bhubaneswar: BJD President Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling following the tragic fire at SCB Medical College in Cuttack.
Speaking to reporters, Patnaik, who had visited the college on Monday, said the incident had deeply saddened him.
“What I witnessed there was not just the scene of a tragic accident, but a stark reflection of the collapsed safety systems in one of the state’s premier healthcare institutions,” he said.
He added, “The fire that broke out in the Trauma Care ICU early Monday morning claimed 11 precious lives. Patients had come to the hospital with the hope of recovery, but due to administrative negligence, they were forced to face such a horrific death. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”
In a post on X, the BJD supremo noted that a judicial probe is welcome, but it cannot absolve the political leadership of its responsibility.
Patnaik further stated that Mahaling must take moral responsibility for this grave lapse in safety measures. “Additionally, the compensation announced so far is grossly inadequate. I have raised a demand in the Assembly before the Hon’ble Speaker for financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to each bereaved family,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das visited the ICU area affected by the fire to assess the situation. He also paid tribute to the innocent patients who lost their lives due to negligence.
In a post on X, Das stated that the incident clearly exposed serious lapses in maintenance, lack of supervision, and a complete failure of fire safety measures as well as emergency response.
He urged the government to immediately order a high-level investigation and take strict criminal action against those responsible.
He also called for compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of each deceased and the implementation of stringent measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
