Fire and more fire: On hospital ICU fires, patient safety

Cuttack is not an anomaly. It is the latest introduction successful a ledger of preventable deaths successful Indian infirmary ICUs. In 2016, 22 radical died successful a occurrence astatine a backstage infirmary ICU successful Bhubaneswar, which did not person the mandatory occurrence information clearance. Following this tragedy, occurrence information audits were made compulsory for specified facilities. Last year, the Odisha authorities allocated astir ₹320 crore for occurrence information betterment crossed hospitals successful the State. But this did not forestall the occurrence astatine the authorities SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, seemingly caused by a abbreviated circuit successful the ICU of the trauma attraction unit. Some reports suggest the occurrence whitethorn person started successful a ventilator, which was aboriginal recovered heavy charred. The accident, which occurred successful the aboriginal hours of Monday, claimed 12 of the 23 ICU patients. Although the infirmary had a firefighting unit, its unit arrived aft much than 30 minutes, reportedly due to the fact that unit did not alert them early. Additionally, the occurrence hydrants could not beryllium operated by staff. Nevertheless, h2o is not the close mean to combat electrical fires, which are champion extinguished utilizing c dioxide, a method that requires trained personnel. Last October, six patients were killed successful an ICU occurrence successful Rajasthan. In 2024, newborns died successful an ICU occurrence successful Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Two akin accidents were reported successful Maharashtra successful 2021. An audit successful Jhansi revealed hazards including exposed wiring, inadequate earthing and electrical circuits not matching powerfulness load requirements — the past being a starring origin of electrical fires successful India.

ICUs person intrinsic information risks, arsenic their oxygen-rich situation tin crook adjacent a spark into an inferno. ICUs are besides packed with electrical equipment, and the unit are not ever good trained successful their harmless handling. State-of-the-art aesculapian instrumentality comes with precocious electronics and adaptable frequence drives that make what are called “harmonic currents”. These currents travel wrong circuits and typically person nary information devices specified arsenic circuit breakers. Harmonics make silent, persistent overheating and insulation degradation and are a terrible occurrence hazard. Today’s electrical signifier lays down that each clip a caller ventilator is wheeled into an ICU, the wiring, extortion and load capableness indispensable beryllium re-evaluated. Older facilities request an electrical upgrade earlier cutting borderline instrumentality tin beryllium installed. As patients successful ICUs are often sedated, intubated, and connected to machines, unit indispensable beryllium trained to guarantee their harmless evacuation. Until India treats infirmary occurrence information arsenic a substance of transgression accountability alternatively than bureaucratic paperwork, the fires volition support burning and the bodies volition support mounting.