Cuttack: A judicial commission of inquiry into the devastating fire that ripped through the Trauma Care ICU at SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) here officially got underway on Monday, seeking answers into the March 16 blaze that claimed lives of 12 patients.
Retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal is the sole member of the commission. He along with his team reached the SCBMCH campus this morning and questioned hospital staff and officials to piece together the sequence of events. He spent around 2 hours at the hospital. “We checked the source of the fire. We spoke to the nurses, who were on duty, to understand the situation on that day. We have sought reports from different authorities. Their statements will be recorded subsequently,” Justice Biswal said.
He further stated that the commission will invite affidavits. “We will then decide on who all to summon and record their statements,” he added.
The commission is expected to examine the sequence of events leading to the fire, the role and accountability of officials or authorities involved and the preparedness of the hospital and other agencies in responding to such emergencies. It has been asked to submit its report, along with recommendations including measures to prevent such tragedies, within 60 days from the date of publication of the notification, which is March 17.
This comes four day after the Orissa High Court has directed the state government to submit a status report on the judicial inquiry while reviewing the progress of restoration work at the severely damaged trauma care ICU of SCBMCH, which is expected to become operational by April 25.
The fire broke out in the early hours of March 16, around 2:40 am, on the first floor of the Trauma ICU block, with initial suspicions pointing to an electrical short circuit. The tragedy quickly escalated, resulting in 12 deaths and injuries to several others, sending shockwaves across Odisha and prompting widespread demands for accountability in the state’s largest public healthcare facility.
In response, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi swiftly ordered a judicial inquiry and announced ex-gratia compensation. A preliminary fact-finding team, led by Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh, visited the site to assess the causes. Their initial findings highlighted significant lapses in fire safety protocols and response mechanisms.
Acting on those recommendations, the state government suspended four officials for alleged negligence just days after the incident: Deputy Fire Officer, Cuttack Circle, Prakash Kumar Jena; Assistant Fire Officer, Cuttack Circle, Sanjeeb Kumar Behera; Station Officer, SCB MCH, Abhinav Prusty; and Assistant Executive Engineer, General Electrical Division, Cuttack, Ranjan Kumar Biswal.
Amid mounting public anger and political pressure, the state government later removed the institution’s superintendent Dr Gautam Satpathy, who had come under scrutiny following the fatal fire incident. The dean and principal of SCBMCH Prof Lucy Das was also shifted.
