Fire in a storeroom in the Government Medical College Hospital here caused tense moments for scores of patients in the outpatient block of the hospital on Saturday. However, all the persons were evacuated unhurt from the building.
It was a providential escape for the scores of lactating women with their children who were waiting in the outpatient ward of the hospital when the fire broke out around 8.30 a.m. in a storeroom and fumes started spreading across.
Alert hospital staff and attendants of the patients helped them get out of the building by the time the fire tenders reached the spot and put out the fire.
According to District Fire Officer Sridhar Reddy, fire broke out in the storeroom located on the ground floor. As the widows of the store room were closed the smoke and heat spread inside the building causing panic in the first and second floors. However, the alert hospital staff helped the patients come down shifted them to a nearby building on the hospital premises.
Mr. Sridhar Reddy said that fire staff broke open the windows and doused the fire. However, due to the heat some electrical equipment in the adjacent room melted. Some of the oxygen cylinders leaked increasing the fire. He said that they were yet to ascertain the cause for the fire as the chances of short circuit were almost ruled out.
“There were some 10 patients with infants in the outpatient ward. Soon after the fire broke out the sweepers working there alerted the patients and helped shift them to safer places. God had saved the day for us. Everyone present there did their best to help the patients and bring the fire under control,” said District Medical and Health Officer Amar Singh.