LARKANA: A fire that broke out at the children’s hospital within the Chandka Medical College Hospital on Friday morning spread fear and panic among juvenile patients, their parents and attendants, besides staff of the health facility.

Desperate people moved swiftly to shift the patients admitted to various wards to the units away from the burning rooftop amid a chaotic situation.

The fire broke out in a store of abandoned paraphernalia and engulfed a wide space on the top floor. Initial reports suggested that it was caused by an electrical short circuit, CMC medical superintendent Dr Abdul Hameed Soomro told Dawn, adding that he had constituted a committee, headed by additional medical superintendent Dr Gulzar Tunio, to ascertain the actual cause.

He said the committee was also asked to hold an inquiry and fix responsibility. The committee would submit its report to him within three days, he said.

Smoke filled some units of the children’s hospital causing breathing problem and trouble to people present inside.

Sources at the hospital said that all patients were moved to safe units without any harm having been caused to them by fire.

The fire brigade arrived at the hospital late, a senior paramedic told this reporter, pointing out that the fire destroyed the sofas, beds and other furniture and material kept in the affected spaces.

Meanwhile, Larkana Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Ali Soomro, along with revenue and municipal officials, visited the affected portion of the hospital and noted that fortunately there had been no loss of life in the incident.

The fire caused suspension of power supply to the hospital for about six hours.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021