Fire Safety / MKCG Medical College and Hospital Sees Third Fire in 23 Days

Brahmapur, Sep 16: Even as the Fire Services Department has launched surprise inspections across Odisha under the Surakshita Odisha, Bikashita Odisha campaign, repeated fire incidents at MKCG Medical College and Hospital have raised serious safety concerns.

On Tuesday afternoon, a fresh blaze broke out at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department’s operation theatre on the second floor. The fire, reportedly triggered by an air conditioner, quickly filled the floor with smoke.

Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control, preventing a major disaster. Fortunately, apart from damage to the AC unit, no other casualties or losses were reported.

Also read: Odisha Fire Services Department Launches Month-Long Safety Drive In Bhubaneswar

This marks the second fire in 12 days and the third in 23 days at MKCG. Earlier, on September 4, a massive fire erupted at the men’s hostel of the Nursing College within the campus.

The blaze, caused by a leaking gas pipe in the kitchen, exposed the fragile state of fire safety infrastructure. Prior to that, on August 23, a minor fire was reported in the Medicine Department when smoke was seen emanating from an electrical board.

The hospital has witnessed multiple incidents this year. On May 28, a fire broke out in the Tuberculosis ward due to a short circuit in a ceiling fan. Each incident has highlighted the lack of adequate fire extinguishers and outdated safety systems.

Concerns over fire preparedness at MKCG are not new. On April 3, Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi personally reviewed the hospital’s fire safety arrangements during a visit to Brahmapur.

He questioned both the local fire department and the medical college authorities about the condition of fire extinguishers across the 22 wards. While officials claimed most wards had basic fire safety measures, repeated incidents suggest glaring lapses remain.