The death of five patients who were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit of the multi-specialty block of the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, in the days following the fire that broke out in the ICU on March 17, has now sparked a controversy with a section of the media reporting that the families of some of the patients had alleged that the patients’ condition worsened after they were shifted to the ICU.
However, the MCH authorities have categorically denied that the fire led to any lapse in patient care. In a statement issued here on Saturday, they termed it “unfortunate” that the deaths of seriously ill patients were linked to the fire and said the media should desist from publishing falsehoods.
They also denied receiving any formal complaints about the deaths. If any of the families wish to make a formal complaint, appropriate legal action will be taken, they added.
The fire broke out in the surgical ICU on the first floor of the multi-specialty block after one of the ventilators burst at about 8.55am, leading to the fire. The fire was extinguished by the paramedics themselves, and by the time the fire crew landed, they had the situation under control.
All 16 patients in the ICU and another 16 who were in the ward across from the ICU were immediately evacuated and placed in replacement ICU facilities in Wards 7 and 8, according to hospital officials. They said that apart from the thick smoke that caused the suffocation of two paramedics, all patients were safe and sound.
However, one patient died later that day, while four others died between March 18 and 20, according to MCH authorities. The families of some of the patients have now apparently made accusations that it was the disruption of care in the ICU that led to the deaths of the patients.
“All the patients were road accident victims with serious injuries and their case sheets clearly indicated a poor prognosis. Their condition was also explained to the caregivers,” says CG Jayachandran, superintendent of MCH.
He explained that autopsies were carried out in all the cases because they were traffic accidents and that the reports were available to the police. The forensic department clarified that the deaths were due to extensive injuries of the patients and were not related to the fire in any way, said a statement issued by the MCH authorities.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said in a statement issued here that the allegations leveled by the patients’ families are serious and the health department and the police should seriously investigate the complaints. He said the series of mishaps that seemed to happen with absolute regularity in the health sector was proof of the opposition’s allegation that Arogya Keralam was on a ventilator.
Published – 21 March 2026 18:50 IST
