KOZHIKODE — A controversy has broken out over the death of five patients at
the Kozhikode Medical College hospital following a short circuit at the room
where the UPS are kept near the Casualty department.
It was around 8 p.m. on Friday night that the authorities
at the Casualty department detected smoke coming out from the UPS room.
While the authorities have said no deaths took place
because of inhaling smoke, the Congress legislator from Wayanad, T. Siddique,
said three patients died after inhaling smoke.
The Kozhikode district authorities have now sealed the
ward where the smoke was detected for detailed probe to be conducted on the
reason for the short circuit.
Soon after the incident, the hospital authorities started
shifting patients from the Casualty department.
While the hospital authorities have said that four deaths
occurred before the smoke emanated, while the fifth patient was brought dead to
the hospital.
But dismissing this was the Wayanad legislator T.
Siddique, who said three patients died after inhaling smoke.
He added that the relatives of 44-year-old Nazeera
brought from Wayanad told him that soon after the smoke covered the area, the
patient was removed from the ventilator and was moved to another place and that
was the time she breathed her last.
However, State Health Minister Veena George has ordered a
probe into the incident.
The Kerala Director of Medical Education has been asked
to head the team to conduct the detailed probe on what happened.
Meanwhile, 34 patients who were being treated at the
Casualty department have been moved to a few hospitals in the locality.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the authorities have said if the
relatives of the deceased who passed away seek a post-mortem, then it would be
conducted.
Kozhikode Medical College hospital is the succor of the
common man in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode and is one of
the busiest hospitals in the public sector.
