Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday said that the Virar fire incident is not national news, ANI reported.
For the uninitiated, at least 13 patients died on Friday after a fire broke out at an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the COVID hospital in Virar.
"In today’s meeting with the PM, we will talk about Oxygen, Remdesivir, an adequate quantity of vaccines for the State...also the Virar fire incident, it is not national news. The state governement will provide financial assistance to those affected," Tope was quoted by ANI.
Tope also said that strict action will be taken against those responsible for violating fire and electrical audit norms if any.
Check his full statement here:
The incident took place around 3:30 am on the second floor of the facility, the Corona Control Room, Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation informed. Three fire tenders of the Virar Fire Brigade reached the spot to douse the fire. It was extinguished by 5:20 am.
Other COVID patients have been shifted to other hospitals.
"13 people have died after a fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 3 am today. 21 patients including those in critical condition have been shifted to another hospital," said Dr Dilip Shah, official, Vijay Vallabh COVID care hospital, Virar.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered an inquiry into the major fire incident.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray ordered an inquiry into the fire incident at Vijay Vallabh COVID care hospital in Virar," Chief Minister's Official statement said.
"The cause of the fire should be properly investigated. He also directed the administration to immediately inquire whether the fire safety was adequate and whether it was a private hospital, the statement added.
"Thackeray has expressed sorrow over the death of some patients in a fire at the intensive care unit of Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar and directed that other patients undergoing treatment should not be harmed and should be relocated immediately," the CMO statement said.
"After learning about the fire, the Chief Minister himself has spoken to the concerned officials and asked them to, first of all, give priority to extinguishing the fire completely and ensure that treatment on other patients continues," it said.
(With inputs from agenices)
