Bhubaneswar: Adopting a tough stance, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday suspended four junior officials following the major fire at the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, which claimed 12 lives.
According to a government release, the suspended officials include Prakash Kumar Jena, Deputy Fire Officer; Sanjeeb Kumar Behera, Assistant Fire Officer of the Cuttack circle; Abhinab Prusty, Station Officer at SCB Medical College; and Ranjan Kumar Biswal, Assistant Executive Engineer of the General Electrical Division, SCB.
On March 16, a major fire broke out in the ICU of the trauma care centre at SCB Medical College and Hospital in the early hours. At the time of the incident, 23 patients were receiving treatment in the ICU.
Twelve patients lost their lives in the tragedy. Preliminary reports indicated a possible short circuit as the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal blamed the BJP-led administration for the incident.
Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, Senior Vice President and former Health Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and Vice President and former Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said that the health minister should resign on moral grounds.
They alleged that despite directives from the State High Court, the government failed to implement adequate fire safety measures.
