COVID patients who had their oxygen masks on ripped them out and tried to escape but could not make it as ceiling collapsed, files caught fire
Charred remains of the ICU ward of the Vijay Vallabh hospital. Pics/Hanif Patel
Fifteen people died in a pre-dawn fire that broke out at the 17-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vijay Vallabh Hospital, treating COVID patients, in Virar West on Friday. Most of the patients were asleep wearing oxygen masks when one of the three central air-conditioning units exploded, setting the oxygen pipeline ablaze, charring the entire set-up and snapping oxygen supply to patients.
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A medical worker inside Vijay Vallabh Hospital after the fire
Sources said that all 17 ICU beds were occupied. “Patients started removing their masks as oxygen supply had snapped inside the ICU. Four of the 17 patients managed to escape somehow but the rest of them could not leave their beds as the ceiling started collapsing and stacks of files on the floor caught fire,” a source said.
“The hospital is a ground-plus-four storey structure. The first floor has a general ward, ICU is on the second floor where the fire broke out, and third and fourth floor are special wards. Our fire brigade team received a call from the hospital staff at 3.13 am on Friday. The fire brigade reached at 3.18 am and doused the fire at 3.45 am,” said Ganesh Patil, Public Relations Officer of VVCMC.
Medical personnel inside the charred ICU ward
“There were total 90 patients in the hospital, 13 of the 17 in the ICU died of asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation,” said Dr. Dilip Shah, CEO and director, Vijay Vallabh Hospital.
All senior officers of Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar police commissionerate, including its commissioner Sadanand Date, zonal DCP Sanjay Kumar Patil and others, reached the spot and heavy bandobast was set up to restrict bereaved family members from entering the hospital.
Forty-three critical patients at the hospital were shifted to 15 nearby hospitals while one was sent to home quarantine.
Janardhan Mhatre’s family outside the hospital
Some of the relatives who had gathered outside the hospital verbally abused the police, hospital and civic authorities, while another created a ruckus when he was prevented from going inside. The relatives have accused the hospital of being negligent.
The deceased patients have been identified as — Uma Kangutkar, 68, Nilesh Bhoir, 35, Pukhraj Vaishnav, 68, Rajni Kadu, 60, Narendra Shinde, 58, Janardhan Mhatre, 63, Kumar Doshi, 45, Ramesh Upyaan, 55, Pravin Goda, 65, Abheya Raut, 23, Rama Mhatre, 48, Suvarna Pitle, 64, Supriya Deshmukh, 43.
“Shivaji Vilkar, 56, who was shifted to Cardinal hospital in Vasai, died during treatment,” said a civic official. Later, officials also confirmed the death of Nirav Sampat, a 31 year old, at a hospital in Nalasopara. With this, the death toll reached 15.
Kumar and Chandani Doshi
Dr Mahesh Patil, deputy commissioner of police (crime) said, “Inspector Pramod Badakh of Crime Branch Unit 3 will investigate the case registered by VVCMC against the administration, doctor and workers of Vijay Vallabh Hospital.”
Died on birthday
Monika Chaugule’s mother Uma Kangutkar resided in Dadar, where she contracted COVID. It was Kangutkar’s 63rd birthday on Friday. She slept after speaking to her kids and friends at midnight. Her daughters had planned to celebrate her birthday after her recovery.
Families outside Vijay Vallabh Hospital on Friday
“We were not getting a bed for her, so we decided to bring her to Virar. She was improving and her oxygen saturation level was 96. We had also managed to arrange remdesivir for her and she was about to get discharged in a couple of days,” Monika told mid-day.
“We had hired a private nurse to assist my mother at the hospital. We received a call from the nurse about the fire and that my mother is stuck inside. I could not understand what to do,” Monika said.
“The private nurse said that no hospital staff was available when the incident took place. There was no fire extinguisher at the hospital. Before I could reach, my sister reached there and went upstairs. My mother was struggling to breathe as she had removed her oxygen mask. With her oxygen supply cut, she died,” Monika said. “Why were ICU patients left unattended?” she wondered.
Workers rescue people from the hospital
Planned daughter’s marriage
Janardhan Mhatre had organised his daughter’s marriage on Sunday but it was postponed after he tested positive for COVID. “We live in Nala village of Virar west. My niece was set to get married next week. We had gone to the hospital but the doctors did not give us a clear picture. They misguided us by saying all patients have been shifted to other hospitals and are safe. They did not tell us that those admitted to the ICU have died,” said Janardhan’s younger brother, Vijay.
Mhatre family was seen crying outside the hospital. “How can we go ahead with the marriage when the head of the family is no more? My brother had planned a grand party. But first the lockdown took away his wish, and now he is no more,” Vijay said.
Medical personnel outside the hospital
Teen loses parents
Kumar Doshi was admitted to Vijay Vallabh Hospital on April 13. His wife Chandani and 15-year-old daughter Khushi also tested positive and Chandani was admitted to Jeevdani hospital, while Khushi was sent to a COVID facility at Varun industry in Vasai.
Khushi was discharged a couple of days ago and went to her maternal uncle’s home in Gujarat. “A few patients were shifted to Jeevdani hospital where Chandani was recuperating. She saw many patients with oxygen masks on and after asking around, she learnt of the fire,” said their family friend, Chirag Doshi.
“After learning of the fire, Chandani died of a heart attack around 6 am. The couple had chatted on WhatsApp and slept around 3 am. Minutes after they slept, the fire took Kumar. Chandani, too, died of shock. Within a span of three hours, Khushi lost both her parents,” Chirag said.
Father-in-law dies, mother survives
IT professional Deven Jadhav lost his father-in-law Pravin Goda in the fire, but his mother survived as she was in the general ward on the first floor. “My mother heard the nouse early in the morning but she did not alert me as she thought I’ll panic. She didn’t know that my father-in-law is also admitted in the ICU,” Jadhav said.
Jadhav’s 70-year-old mother has been shifted to a Vasai hospital. Goda’s daughter, Ajita, was seen lashing out at the hospital staff on Friday.
A senior police officer said, “An FIR has been registered under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by rash or negligent act), 338 (causing grievous hurt) and others of the IPC against the management of Vijay Vallabh Hospital at Arnala police station. A dog squad team also had reached the spot and police started taking the statements of hospital staff late on Friday. After the widespread media coverage, senior politicians started making a beeling to the hospital on Friday.
VVCMC commissioner D Gangatharan, who was at the site, refused to comment.
‘My niece was set to get married this Sunday. We had gone to the hospital but the doctors did not give us a clear picture. They misguided us by saying all patients have been shifted to other hospitals and are safe. They did not tell us that those admitted to the ICU have died’ - Vijay Mhatre, brother
‘We were not getting a bed for her, so we decided to bring her to Virar. She was improving and her oxygen saturation level was 96. We had also managed to arrange remdesivir for her and she was about to get discharged in a couple of days’ - Monika Chaugule, daughter
‘A few patients were shifted to Jeevdani hospital where Chandani was. After learning from them of the fire where her husband was admitted, Chandani died of a heart attack’ - Chirag Doshi, family friend
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