This Article is From Dec 01, 2020

3 Held After 5 Die In Blaze At Newly Set Up Rajkot COVID-19 Hospital

The fire broke out on Friday in the ICU of Rajkot's Uday Shivanand Hospital, run by Gokul Healthcare.

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India News Edited by (with inputs from PTI)

Up to 28 patients were rescued from the hospital on Friday.

Ahmedabad:

Three officials of a company operating a private COVID-19 hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot district have been arrested in connection with a fire breakout that killed five patients last week.

The persons arrested on Monday night were Gokul Healthcare chairman Dr Prakash Modha, his son and executive director Dr Vishal Modha, director Dr Tejas Karamta, according to PTI.

Gokul Healthcare operates Rajkot's Uday Shivanand Hospital where, on Friday, the ICU ward caught fire, killing five persons, while 28 others were rescued, an official from Rajkot's Malviya Nagar police station said.

Following the incident, cases were filed against five Gokul Healthcare officials under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence). "They have been booked along with two others under the IPC section for causing death by negligence," the police official said.

On Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoharsinh Jadeja told reporters that an investigation into the incident revealed negligence on part of the hospital authorities.

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He said the COVID-19 hospital began functioning after getting permission on September 15. It began operations on three floors rented at a hospital being run by the Shivanand Mission Trust.

The probe into the fire showed several norms allegedly not followed, Mr Jadeja said. The hospital did not follow fire prevention protocols while safety measures, too, were lacking, hampering rescue operation and resulting in the death of five patients, he had said.

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Gujarat has recorded over two lakh COVID-19 cases till now, with nearly 4,000 deaths reported.

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