Fire erupts at NICVD intensive care unit

Firefighters manage to bring the blaze under control in about 45 minutes

KARACHI: A fire erupted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) on Saturday, resulting in minor injuries for two people. Firefighters quickly managed to control the blaze, however.

According to the hospital administration, the fire broke out in the ICU situated in the first floor emergency ward at the hospital. As the building filled with smoke, hospital staff evacuated people from the area and rushed towards the exit, while the fire department was immediately notified.

According to fire department officials, two fire brigades and one snorkel were dispatched to the hospital as soon as they were informed about the incident. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control in about 45 minutes, they added.

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Malik Hameedullah, the NICVD director, confirmed that two people had been injured. Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said that according to preliminary information, the fire had been caused by a short circuit. Fortunately, he added, there were no patients at the ICU at the time, though hospital staff was present there. Praising the staff members, he said that they first helped evacuate patients from other wards and then exited the building themselves.

According to Hameedullah, the injuries were not caused by the fire itself; instead, the two injured, Ehsan and Imran, received injuries after panicking because of the fire. He added that they were given first aid at the hospital. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2019.