Hi-Tech Tragedy In Bhubaneswar: Owner Tirupati Panigrahy Says Hospital Took Right Steps, Ready To Face Any Probe

Bhubaneswar: Amid a raging controversy over identity mix-up fiasco after the death of three of the four technicians injured in a blast at High-Tech hospital in Bhubaneswar, its owner Tirupati Panigrahy on Monday claimed that right steps were taken by the medical following the mishap.

Claiming that the hospital was in no way responsible for identity mix-up of the victims, Panigrahi said after getting information about the mishap, the doctors at the medical received the patients and provided treatment.

Maintaining that the hospital followed high standard of humanitarian act, he said it only provided service by following an ethical approach. The hospital took correct steps both legally and ethically, Panigrahy said, adding that he was prepared to face any investigation.

The High-Tech owner’s explanation came shortly after Chhatra Congress activists staged demonstration and hurled eggs at Health Minister’ Niranjan Pujari’s official quarters in Bhubaneswar on Monday immediate arrest of Panigrahy over identity mix-up fiasco.

They alleged that the state government is trying to protect Panigrahy since he is a BJD leader, and demanded his arrest, cancellation of licence of the medical college-cum-hospital and Rs 50 lakh compensation each to the kin of the deceased.

The identity mix up of the victims of the blast of December 29 had led to a chain of events while exposing the shoddy identification procedure adopted by the hospital authorities and police. Dilip Samantaray, who sustained critical burns in a compressor explosion and was thought to have succumbed, following which his wife died by suicide out of grief, was found to be alive and under treatment on January 4. He, however, suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away early on Saturday, January 6, within hours after being taken off ventilator and revealing his true identity.

While his family was left completely shattered by his demise for the second time in a week, the goof-up also came as a shock for Jyoti Ranjan Mallick, who had died on December 30.

Earlier, Hospital CEO Dr Smita Padhi said that the injured persons were initially identified by an employee of the agency, which had supplied them ACs. Their family members were in constant touch with the patients when they were admitted to the ICU.