Guwahati: A fire broke out at the orthopaedics block of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Tuesday afternoon, sparking panic among patients and staff. Thanks to the swift response by hospital personnel, the situation was brought under control without any casualties.
Fire Triggered by Suspected Short Circuit
The blaze reportedly began around 12:30 PM, believed to have been caused by a short circuit in an electrical panel, before it spread to a nearby paper storage area, producing thick smoke.
Hospital Staff Contained Fire Before Firefighters Arrived
Dr. Achyut Chandra Baishya, Principal and Chief Superintendent of GMCH, confirmed that hospital staff used in-house firefighting equipment to bring the fire under control before the fire and emergency services were officially alerted.
“Our staff acted promptly and managed to control the blaze using the available equipment. The fire did not spread far, and no one was harmed. The smoke mainly came from burning paper. As a precaution, we’ve reiterated no-smoking protocols near oxygen storage areas,” Dr. Baishya told TOI.
Fire Department Praises Quick Response by GMCH Staff
Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services reached the scene shortly after receiving the alert, but by then the fire was already under control.
“The fire originated at an electrical panel board and spread to an old paper storage. Before our team arrived, GMCH staff had successfully contained it,” the department noted in its report.
Second Fire Incident in Two Days Raises Infrastructure Concerns
This is the second fire-related incident reported at GMCH within 48 hours. On Monday evening, a massive fire broke out in the Central Clinical Laboratory. Though both incidents were brought under control swiftly, they have once again highlighted the ageing electrical infrastructure in some of the hospital’s older buildings.
