Fire at Bogura's Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital burns eye OT equipment
A fire broke out in a room of the outpatient department of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College (SZMC) Hospital in Bogura. Various expensive medical equipment and supplies of the minor eye operation theatre (OT) kept in the room were burnt. However, as the fire was brought under control quickly, there were no casualties.
The fire broke out in room number 151 of the hospital's outpatient department at around 11:30pm on Sunday (18 October). The incident, occurring late at night on the hospital premises, caused momentary panic.
According to local and hospital sources, a loud explosion suddenly occurred in room 151 of the outpatient department at night. Within moments, flames spread across the entire room.
Hearing the loud noise, hospital staff rushed to the spot. They managed to bring the fire under control using the institution's own fire-extinguishing equipment. It is believed that this prompt action by the staff saved the hospital from a major disaster.
Several important instruments used in eye treatment were burnt to ashes in the fire. With the equipment of the minor eye operation theatre destroyed, concern has arisen among patients about minor eye surgery services.
Because the fire was controlled quickly, major damage and casualties were avoided. The blaze was extinguished before it could spread to adjacent rooms.
After the incident, attempts were made to contact the hospital authorities to learn the cause of the fire and details of the damage, but none of the concerned officials could be reached. Later, repeated calls were made to their mobile phones, but nobody received them.
Bogura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ibrahim Ali said, 'A fire broke out in the minor operation theatre of the eye department and some medical equipment was damaged. However, due to the staff's prompt action, the fire was brought under control and there was no major casualty.'
No confirmed information was immediately available about the cause of the nighttime fire. Although an explosion was heard, exactly where the fire originated is still not clear. The total extent of the damage has not yet been assessed either.
All in all, although there were no casualties, the loss of equipment of an important treatment unit of the hospital in this incident has also raised questions about the hospital's safety and electrical management. The real cause of the fire will be known once the authorities make an official statement and the investigation is completed.
