Vijayawada Covid-19 centre fire mishap: Police arrest three executives of the hospital

Ramesh Hospitals’ founder and Managing Director Dr Ramesh Babu Pothineni stated that “only medical services were their responsibility.”

The Vijayawada police have arrested three executives of Ramesh Hospitals including its Chief Operating Officer Kodali Rajagopala Rao in connection with the Sunday fire mishap that killed 10 Covid-19 patients.

The city-based Ramesh Hospitals was running a Covid-19 care centre in the Swarna Palace hotel, where a massive fire broke out early morning. 31 patients were lodged inside the hotel at that time.

Quick arrival and timely rescue using ladders by the fire officials have saved the lives of 21 patients. About a dozen medical, and supportive staff also escaped death.

“We have arrested three executives of the concerned hospital today. We are awaiting the probe reports of the incident to proceed further in the case,” Vijayawada Commissioner of Police B Srinivasulu told DH.

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Two others arrested are hospital’s general manager Sudarshan K and night shift manager P Venkatesh.

Only medical services were our responsibility: Hospital MD

In a video message circulated to the media, Ramesh Hospitals’ founder and Managing Director Dr Ramesh Babu Pothineni expressed anguish over the incident but stated that “only medical services were their responsibility.”

“We have started this facility for moderate Covid-19 cases in two hotels following all the SOPs, staff training, after permission from the district collector and health officer. Our agreement with the hotels was such that all facilities and other management were their responsibility while medical services were ours,” Dr Pothineni said adding that they had treated over 200 patients like this.

The Governorpet police had registered a case against the hotel and the hospital management based on the complaint of the local tehsildar P Jayasri.

In her complaint, the official has contended that the hotel and the hospital managements had opened the Covid-19 facility despite having knowledge of the electrical defects in the building and its hazards.

“They avoided repairs as rectification involves huge amounts,” the Vijayawada central tehsildar said adding that the two groups “became responsible for the cause of death of 10 persons.”

The case was booked under IPC sections 304 (negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and 308 (acting with knowledge and under circumstances where a death-causing act would a culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

Andhra Pradesh’s health minister AKK Srinivas had announced committees to probe the incident’s cause and examine the permissions granted for the hotel to operate as a Covid-19 centre, giving them two days’ time.