New Delhi: A day after 11 Covid-19 patients were killed after a massive fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit of Ahmednagar Civil Hospital in Maharashtra, family members who bid farewell to their deceased relatives are still in a state of shock and yet to come . to conform to reality.
The hospital administration handed over the bodies to the relatives late on Saturday evening.
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Adinath Wagh, who lost his uncle Ramkishan Harpude in the hospital fire, performed his last rites at his native place in Nevasa last night.
“He was admitted only two days back and we were hoping for a speedy recovery. But he died in the fire tragedy,” PTI quoted Wagh as saying.
He further said that many of his close family members were distraught and inconsolable as they could not see their 70-year-old uncle’s face for the last time due to the COVID-19 protocol.
Bhagwan Pawar, who lost his father Bhivji Pawar in the hospital fire, said he was to perform the last rites in Ahmednagar instead of his native village Parner tehsil.
“My father died tragically. Due to Kovid-19, the last rites were performed in Ahmednagar itself. Only a few of us were present at the crematorium,” he said and lamented that other relatives could not attend the last rites.
Vivek Khatik, who lost his father Kadu Bal Gangadhar Khatik in the accident, said that his last rites were performed in his village in Nevasa tehsil.
“We received the body late Saturday evening for the last rites. My mother was also in the same ICU. We could have saved him, but not my father,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation chief fire officer Shankar Misal said the hospital where the untoward incident took place lacked various fire safety measures suggested by him earlier.
“Except for fire extinguishers, other safety measures that we had suggested were not there,” PTI quoted a senior fire official as saying.
Noting that this was the first such incident at the hospital, Misal said: “Our recommendations, including sprinklers, were not implemented.”
The senior fire officer further said that they are probing the incident thoroughly.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed grief over the accident and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said earlier on Saturday that the district collector has been ordered to investigate the incident and submit a report in a week’s time, reported ANI.
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