One such nursing assistant, Baby Bhabani, who was on duty at the ICU of the burn department showed exceptional courage and commitment by choosing not to abandon her patients and braved the suffocating smoke for about 40 minutes, reports The Times of India. 

Refusing to desert them, she stayed with the patients who were on ventilators, screaming for help, and gasping for breath, but couldn’t do anything to save them. She even had to witness a patient die due to asphyxiation while she stood there in a state of extreme helplessness. 

Bhabani, who had been working at the ICU for mere five days, is now in a state of trauma and undergoing treatment at AMRI hospital in Bhubaneshwar, reports TOI.

Bhabana told the newspaper that they were choking in the ICU waiting for the help to arrive and by the time it did arrive, it was too late. She now feels that patients could have been saved.

Odisha police has arrested two employees of the SUM hospital including its superintendent, after the state fire service directorate found gross negligence with the hospital for the tragedy.

The hospital was found to have not carried out the fire service wings’ recommendations to improve its fire fighting system. Not only is it lacking the sprinkler system, fire detection system, fire hydrant point and terrace water tank, the premier hospital does not even possess fire safety certificate. 

(Feature image source: PTI)