Kolkata: The toll in Friday's fire at Kolkata's Advanced Medicare Research Institute (AMRI) hospital rose to 92 on Sunday with the death of two more patients at its Salt Lake facility.
Hospital sources said Babulal Bhattacharya, admitted with heart problems at the AMRI hospital, was moved to Salt Lake facility after the fire.
He died in the early hours of Sunday, they said. Another woman, who was moved to another private clinic, also died on the same day.
"It will be difficult for elderly patients to survive the trauma," said Dr S. Mitra. "Once such toxic gas enters the system, those who were lucky to survive that day, may not finally make it for long," the doctor added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a judicial probe into the tragedy while a five-member expert panel led by Additional Director General of the Fire Department D.P. Biswas was set up to oversee fire safety. It was announced that another group for inspection of safety measures at places like hospitals, malls and academic institutions will be set up.
"We have found out that there are quite a number of private hospitals in the city where basic fire norms are not followed.
Strict action
"We will give them a month's time to rectify or else strictest action will be taken. No more innocent lives should be lost like this," said Mamata, who will join a candlelight condolence march in the city today in memory of the deceased patients.
Sources said some private clinics operating in Kolkata do not have proper licences from the fire department. Though none of the hospital management was willing to take repeated calls from Gulf News, one doctor speaking on condition of anonymity said: "The mindset of the management who run these hospitals are like that of builders, who want to use every bit of space, and push a bed and earn more money. As per the law book, no wards should have more than ten beds, but here having 15 beds has become a norm."
