LUCKNOW: It was the night of July 15 last year when a massive cloud of smoke and flames began from the second floor of King George’s Medical University’s ( KGMU trauma centre , engulfing the night in terror. A narrow escape for around 800 people followed but 13 people died allegedly during shifting of patients out of the emergency wing. The fire had started from the store room on the second floor’s disaster management ward.A year after the tragedy shook the 4,000-bed hospital, the situation on ground remains more or less the same as KGMU awaits another mishap before actual difference is visible on the ground.While there are fire extinguishers in the name of fire safety hung up on the campus, the university continues to have dysfunctional fire hydrants, alarms and smoke detectors. It is only at the newly constructed Kalam Centre that the fire alarm system is new but it is not operational as yet.KGMU’s executive engineer Akhilesh Singh said, “The estimate of Rs 10 crore for the repair and operation of fire hydrant, alarm and smoke detectors at trauma center, Shatabdi phase I and II, Queen Mary’s Hospital, new dental building and the new OPD has been sent to officials.”After the fire last year, KGMU had said in a preliminary report sent to the commissioner of Lucknow that its fire safety systems were incomplete due to paucity of funds. The fire had caused a loss of around Rs 56 lakh.In the report, the university had also admitted that it had no fire tender of its own on campus.The report had said that the trauma centre does not have any fire exits except for the first of its four floors. A year on, the situation is the same. The only fire exit (staircase) is from the first floor.There should be minimum two entry and exit points in such buildings. While the trauma centre’s ground floor does have additional exit points, the one behind the building is always under locks and obstructed by vehicles.Soon after the fire, a meeting with heads of government medical institutes was held by principal secretary for medical education Anita Bhatnagar Jain. All were asked to come up with an emergency evacuation plan. Emergency evacuation ramps and stairwells were directed to be constructed on either side of the main buildings.The evacuation plan was also to be displayed across the university. However, such a display remains amiss.When TOI questioned chief medical superintendent of trauma centre UB Mishra, he said, “An external staircase is to be made on one side of the trauma centre building from the top floor. It is in design stage and funds have been sanctioned. Due to space issues, an external ramp is not possible.”Chief fire officer AB Pandey said detailed recommendations were sent to KGMU after a survey. The basic elements in the recommendations were installing fire safety devices, ventilation in trauma centre, construction of smoke/fire barriers, a swift public emergency address system and construction of alternative routes.Pandey said a major lapse occurred because the staff of KGMU were not trained to tackle fires. As a result, it was decided to train the staff and employees about rescuing patients.“Conduction of fire drills has started. We train 80 people from KGMU every week,” said Pandey.However, when TOI asked KGMU’s in charge for mock drills and training Akhilesh Singh, he said, “We set up fire under controlled conditions and then train the staff to extinguish it using fire extinguishers.”Asked if training in evacuation of patients is also done, he said, “That is not possible since it is a busy hospital.”

Stay updated with all the Lucknow Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.