Kozhikode Medical College smoke incident: Hospital denies deaths due to inhalation, probe ordered
Kozhikode: Questions have been raised following the death of five patients at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital after a smoke incident reportedly triggered by a short circuit in the UPS storage room near the casualty wing.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Friday when smoke was detected emanating from the UPS room. Hospital authorities immediately began relocating patients from the affected ward, which has since been sealed for a detailed investigation.
While the hospital administration maintains that none of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Congress MLA from Wayanad, T. Siddique, has alleged that at least three patients died as a result of inhaling the smoke. He cited the case of a 44-year-old patient named Nazeera, claiming that she died after being removed from a ventilator amid the smoke.
According to hospital officials, four of the deceased had passed away prior to the smoke incident, while the fifth was brought in already dead. Siddique has publicly challenged this version and demanded accountability.
State Health Minister Veena George has directed an inquiry into the incident. The Kerala Director of Medical Education will lead the investigation to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities have confirmed that 34 patients from the casualty department have been shifted to nearby hospitals as a precautionary measure. Post-mortem examinations will be conducted if requested by the families of the deceased.
Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, a crucial healthcare facility for residents of Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Malappuram districts, is among the busiest public hospitals in Kerala.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
