Smoke sparks fresh panic at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital
KOZHIKODE: Just as the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital was starting to recover from the shock of the May 2 fire, smoke that emerged from the sixth floor of the same block on Monday, during a safety inspection, triggered fresh panic. What should have been a step towards reassurance generated renewed fear, with patients hurriedly evacuated and bystanders reliving the chaos of Friday.
Monday’s incident occurred during a scheduled inspection by the Electrical Inspectorate.
The smoke was detected in Room 14 of the theatre complex, part of the sixth floor that houses super-speciality operating theatres. Officials clarified that there were no patients on the floor at the time. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, patients from the third and fourth floors were relocated, causing widespread panic among bystanders and families. “I had to rush out with my father who was admitted for urology surgery,” said Rameshan C P, from Naduvannur, Kozhikode. “We saw patients running out with attached IV tubes. It was frightening.” Eyewitnesses also heard sirens and smelt smoke before security began evacuations.
