Kerala Human Rights Commission Mandates High-Level Probe Into Hospital Fire Incident
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has called for a comprehensive, high-level investigation into the fire that erupted in the surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the multi-specialty block at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. This directive follows serious allegations regarding suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of five patients who were evacuated from the ICU during the emergency.
Commission Takes Suo Motu Cognisance
SHRC Chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas issued the order, taking suo motu cognisance based on media reports about the incident. The commission has instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department to conduct a detailed and transparent inquiry into the entire matter.
Scope of the Investigation
The probe is mandated to examine multiple critical aspects of the incident:
- The complete sequence of events during and after the fire
- The timeliness and adequacy of patient evacuation measures from the ICU
- The exact causes of the five patient deaths following the evacuation
- Findings from postmortem reports and expert opinions from forensic specialists
- Statements from doctors, hospital staff, bystanders, and relatives of the deceased
The commission has directed that all relevant hospital records, postmortem certificates, and forensic findings must be submitted along with a comprehensive report within five weeks. Authorities have also been asked to verify whether relatives of the deceased have lodged formal complaints and, if so, whether First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered.
Additional Reporting Requirements
In a separate directive, the Director of Medical Education (DME) has been asked to file an independent report on the incident. The SHRC has mandated that representatives of the state government and the DME must appear at its sitting scheduled for May 8 to present their findings and updates on the investigation progress.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
The fire incident occurred on March 17, with allegations emerging that five patients admitted to the surgical unit died in the subsequent days. Some relatives of the deceased have alleged that the fatalities occurred directly due to the fire and subsequent evacuation procedures.
However, hospital authorities have denied these allegations, maintaining that all patients were successfully shifted to another ward and that there were no casualties resulting from the fire incident. Family members continue to claim that lapses during the emergency evacuation led to the deaths of their loved ones.
The human rights commission's intervention underscores the seriousness of the allegations and the need for a transparent investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding these patient deaths. The five-week timeline for the comprehensive report submission indicates the urgency with which the commission views this matter of public health and safety.
