<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Deaths of five patients at the casualty wing of the government medical college hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala will be probed in the wake of allegations that the deaths occurred due to a smoke from the UPS room.</p><p>Health minister Veena George said that a team of expert doctors would conduct the inquiry. Police and other agencies have also recommended a probe to find the reason for the smoke. Electric short circuit or defective batteries in the UPS room of the MRI machine was prima facie suspected to be the reason for the incident.</p><p>It was by around 8 pm on Friday that smoke emanated from the UPS room and spread to the casualty wing, triggering panic. There were 151 patients at the casualty wing at that time. Hospital authorities and local people swiftly evacuated the patients. While 114 patients were shifted to other parts of the medical college hospital itself, 37 patients were shifted to other nearby hospitals.</p>.Probe into smoke incident at medical college underway, says Kerala CM; Cong slams health dept.<p>Five persons who were at the casualty during that time died. Even as their relatives alleged that the deaths occurred due to inhaling smoke, hospital authorities denied the allegation by citing the medical conditions of the patients.</p><p>Health minister, who visited the hospital and reviewed the situations on Saturday, said that post mortem examination of all the bodies would be conducted with the consent of their relatives and an expert team of doctors from other hospitals would be formed to inquire into the deaths.Based on the inquiry report stringent actions would be taken.</p><p>She said that the UPS and the battery were properly maintained as per registers. </p><p>Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said that action would be taken on the basis of the investigation reports. The unfortunate incident should have happened, he said.</p><p>Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front alleged serious lapses and demanded the government to bear the entire treatment expenses of all patients, including those shifted to private hospitals.</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the government should ensure stringent actions in the shocking incident. Congress MLA T Siddique alleged that there were no evacuation plans or fire technician or fire safety department at the medical college hospital.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Deaths of five patients at the casualty wing of the government medical college hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala will be probed in the wake of allegations that the deaths occurred due to a smoke from the UPS room.</p><p>Health minister Veena George said that a team of expert doctors would conduct the inquiry. Police and other agencies have also recommended a probe to find the reason for the smoke. Electric short circuit or defective batteries in the UPS room of the MRI machine was prima facie suspected to be the reason for the incident.</p><p>It was by around 8 pm on Friday that smoke emanated from the UPS room and spread to the casualty wing, triggering panic. There were 151 patients at the casualty wing at that time. Hospital authorities and local people swiftly evacuated the patients. While 114 patients were shifted to other parts of the medical college hospital itself, 37 patients were shifted to other nearby hospitals.</p>.Probe into smoke incident at medical college underway, says Kerala CM; Cong slams health dept.<p>Five persons who were at the casualty during that time died. Even as their relatives alleged that the deaths occurred due to inhaling smoke, hospital authorities denied the allegation by citing the medical conditions of the patients.</p><p>Health minister, who visited the hospital and reviewed the situations on Saturday, said that post mortem examination of all the bodies would be conducted with the consent of their relatives and an expert team of doctors from other hospitals would be formed to inquire into the deaths.Based on the inquiry report stringent actions would be taken.</p><p>She said that the UPS and the battery were properly maintained as per registers. </p><p>Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said that action would be taken on the basis of the investigation reports. The unfortunate incident should have happened, he said.</p><p>Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front alleged serious lapses and demanded the government to bear the entire treatment expenses of all patients, including those shifted to private hospitals.</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the government should ensure stringent actions in the shocking incident. Congress MLA T Siddique alleged that there were no evacuation plans or fire technician or fire safety department at the medical college hospital.</p>