IMA bats for medicos in Ahmednagar fire fiasco row

The fire-hit ICU at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital

The Indian Medical Association, the umbrella body of medical practitioners in the country, will fund the legal fight of a woman doctor who was arrested after the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital fire that killed 14 Covid-19 patients in the ICU. Stressing that doctors and nurses at the hospital were made scapegoats, IMA said it would provide all possible support to ensure justice for them and set an example.

It was illogical and a knee jerk reaction to arrest Dr Vishakha Shinde. She is a post-graduate student and by holding her responsible for the fire, the government has only tried to find a scapegoat," said Dr Mangesh Pate, national treasurer-Hospital Board of India, IMA. Dr Pate and Dr Sheikh Nisar, another IMA member, met Dr Shinde's family recently.

"Dr Shinde has been unwell since she returned home after spending 12 days in prison. She and her parents are disturbed. Her father is a retired teacher. They are proud of their daughter becoming a doctor but the incident has shaken them," said Dr Pate. He added that while he counselled her parents, the action has numbed the fraternity and medical students.

The ICU at the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital after the fire

"On the day when the fire broke, it was some other doctor's duty who had exchanged it with Dr Shinde. Her mother, while describing her meeting with Dr Shinde in the jail, had tears rolling down her cheeks. We were speechless and could feel her pain," said Dr Pate.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, treasurer of the World Medical Association, said the IMA is in constant touch with Dr Shinde's family. "We are taking legal opinions and we will ensure we get justice for her. Slapping doctors and nurses with charges under Sections 304 [punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder] and 304 A [causing death by negligence] of the Indian Penal Code by authorities has raised serious questions about the safety of professionals in the democratic country," he said.

The fire

The November 6 fire in Ahmednagar had broken out in the intensive care unit where Covid-19 patients were admitted. The fire killed 14 people. While preliminary investigations have found that the firefighting equipment was inadequate and a short circuit was the reason, fire experts say a rich oxygen supply for patients might make Covid-19 facilities prone to fires. The state's Covid task force has recommended looking into such fires to identify causes and lessons learned for improving prevention and preparedness strategies, and routinely disseminating the findings to hospital personnel.

14
No. of Covid patients killed in the fire

12
No. days Dr Shinde spent in prison