SUM hospital fire: Lookout circular issued against Manoj Nayak, his wife

19 October,Bhubaneswar

The Commissionerate of Police Wednesday issued lookout circular against Manoj Nayak and his wife Saswati Das — both trustee of the Sikhya O Anusandhan Trust — which runs the SUM hospital in connection with the fire mishap in the hospital on Monday night which claimed 21 lives so far.

The Commissionerate of police yesterday arrested four officials of the SUM Hospital, including the Medical Superintendent Pusparaj Samantsinghar, after a complaint was filed by Fire Officer, Central Range B B Das with regard to the fire incident in SUM hospital at Khandagiri police station.

They were arrested on charges of criminal negligence, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligence with regard to fire safety in the hospital.

The Medical Superintendent ever since his arrest by the police has been admitted in the ICU ward of the Cardiology department of the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack on the ground of breathing problem and illness.

The Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) has also filed another FIR against the management of the SUM Hospital alleging negligence on the part of the medical authority in maintaining the fire safety method in the Hospital.

DMET Prakash Chandra Mohapatra said, “We have filed the FIR citing negligence by the Sum Hospital authority in the evacuation of the patients from the hospital during the fire mishap.”

He held the management of the SUM Hospital responsible for the fire mishap as it had not followed the guidelines for fire safety measures despite a warning served to the Hospital in 2013.