Patient, 34, dies in Bengaluru hospital fire, FIR lodged: Report

In a fresh development in the fire that broke out at the M S Ramaiah Hospital in Bengaluru on Thursday afternoon, a 34-year-old patient has died in the Critical Care Unit (CCU), according to police reports.
The deceased, identified as Panicker Sujay Sujathan, was admitted for pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and H1N1 treatment on September 1, the Deccan Herald reported. His wife, Rohini Jayan, has accused the hospital of negligence, claiming the fire was a result of their failure to ensure safety. She has also filed a police complaint seeking action against the hospital management. The Sadashivanagar police have initiated an FIR under BNS Section 106 for causing death due to negligence, the report said.
READ | Fire breaks out at Bengaluru’s MS Ramaiah Hospital, patients evacuated: Report
The fire, believed to have started from an electrical short circuit, erupted in the CCU after 1 pm. Hospital staff evacuated three patients and called the fire department. While two patients were reported stable, news of Sujay’s death reached his wife by 4:30 pm, the publication stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar H Tekkannavar spoke to reporters on the matter and confirmed the death. In her complaint, Rohini expressed her deep personal loss and stated that her husband was recovering well until she received news of his death.
Rohini criticized the hospital for not holding anyone accountable for the fire, stating that they informed her of the incident as a natural death. Sunoj VV, president of the Bengaluru Malayali Club, also expressed concern, noting that Sujay passed away around 2 pm, yet the hospital initially claimed his death was due to natural causes and did not communicate the truth until later.
Sujay’s brother, Sujin, also added that his brother was among the last to be evacuated from the ward and had shown signs of improvement. An officer from the Sadashivanagar police station reported that the fire originated from an air-conditioner and spread across the ceiling. Two fire tenders were dispatched to extinguish the blaze, which took approximately an hour to control, the report added.