Kolkata: It was a collective chorus of anger and shock in Kolkata as intellectuals, celebrities and others demanded exemplary punishment for culprits and a mechanism to keep a tab on the working of private hospitals yesterday, a day after India saw its worst hospital fire tragedy.
Up to 90 patients and staff members died a horrible death in Kolkata's well-known Advanced Medicare Research Institute (AMRI) Hospital when a blaze in the basement engulfed its annexe on Friday with noxious smoke, trapping helpless patients while doctors and others fled to safety.
It was a sorry saga of ignorance in basic firefighting norms, leading to the second major fire in Kolkata in 20 months after the March 23, 2010 blaze at the British-era Stephen Court in the heart of the bustling Park Street claimed 43 lives.
"The culprits should be given an exemplary punishment so that next time nobody even thinks of ignoring basic fire safety norms for saving some money. The culprits should be punished as early as possible," fashion designer Agnimitra Paul told IANS.
"Punishment should be given but at the same time the government should also prepare a mechanism to keep a tab on private hospitals who charge enormous amounts of money for treatment and that too by confusing people," writer Sirshendu Mukhopadhay said.
Allegations
Time and again there have been allegations against private hospitals that they charge patients huge amounts of money. Last year, people went on the rampage in a renowned private hospital after it denied basic treatment to a poor man as he could not arrange the money the hospital demanded.
Wake up
"Harsh punishment is a must and government should also wake up after the death of these 90 people. They should keep a strict vigil on private hospitals which charge astronomical amounts for even basic treatment. The deaths should not go in vain," actor Kaushik Sen told IANS.
In the last few years, many incidents of callousness in private hospitals have come to the fore.
Two years ago, a renowned hospital declared a newborn dead. Later, when the baby was about to be taken away for cremation, it was found that he was alive. The hospital said since the delivery took place at night, there were no specialised doctors to give the baby a thorough clinical check.
