Odisha govt orders judicial probe into SCB Medical College fire
The Odisha government on Monday announced a single-member judicial commission to investigate the fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack that killed 10 patients.
In a notification, the state Home Department said the incident was a matter of serious public importance and would be investigated under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.
“The State Government are deeply concerned about the issue and think that, this being a matter of serious public importance, it should be inquired into by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry,” the notification said.
The government has appointed retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal as the sole member of the commission. The inquiry has been asked to submit its report within 60 days from the date of publication of the notification in the Odisha Gazette.
The commission has also been tasked with recommending measures to prevent the recurrence of similar tragedies.
According to the notification, the commission will examine the sequence of events leading to the fire, the role and accountability of officials or authorities involved, and the preparedness of the hospital and other agencies in responding to such emergencies. It will also assess the effectiveness of measures taken before and after the incident to save the patients.
The commission will be headquartered in Cuttack but may hold the inquiry elsewhere if required.
The decision comes amid public concern over the incident, which also left several patients critically injured. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier announced a judicial inquiry and assured strict action if negligence was found.
The state government has also constituted a six-member fact-finding team headed by Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh to examine the cause of the fire.
Officials said the fire broke out at the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital early Monday morning. The blaze reportedly occurred between 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., when critically ill patients were undergoing treatment in the ICU. Multiple fire engines were rushed to the hospital as emergency teams worked to control the blaze and evacuate patients.
-IANS
