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Bhubaneswar: Amid chaotic scenes in the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday over the tragic fire at Cuttack’s SCB Medical College and Hospital that claimed 12 lives, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik called for the immediate resignation of Health Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Naveen, who visited the hospital last evening, described the incident as a reflection of “crumbling safety standards” in the state’s premier healthcare institution. “I stand here today with a heavy heart. Yesterday, I visited SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. What I witnessed was not just the aftermath of a tragic accident, but a stark reminder of the deteriorating safety standards in our state’s most important hospital,” he said.

The LoP attributed the deaths to administrative negligence and lack of proper safety oversight. “The fire that broke out in the Trauma Care ICU in the early hours of Monday has claimed 12 precious lives. These were patients who came to the hospital with the hope of recovery, only to meet a horrific end due to administrative negligence. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families,” he said.

Also Read: Toll Climbs To 12 In SCB Fire As 2 More Patients Succumb, Kin Blame Safety Lapses

The former CM said that ordering inquiries alone was not enough and that political accountability must be fixed. “The Health Department cannot hide behind inquiries while families mourn. A judicial inquiry is welcome, but it does not absolve the political leadership of responsibility,” Naveen Patnaik told the House.

Demanding accountability, Naveen demanded immediate resignation of Health Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling. “The minister must take moral responsibility for the lapses. In our times, the then Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi had resigned following the fire mishap at a private in 2016,” he later told the media.

The LoP also termed the compensation announced by the government as inadequate and demanded Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia each for the bereaved families. “They truly deserve it,” he added.

The blaze erupted around 2.48 am in the first-floor trauma care Intensive Care Unit (ICU), suspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit. Flames rapidly spread to the second and third floors, engulfing sections of the state’s oldest and largest government-run hospital, established in 1944 with nearly 2,700 beds and serving thousands daily.

Of the 23 patients in the affected ICUs, seven died on the spot amid thick smoke and chaos, while three passed away during frantic evacuation efforts. Two more — a 45-year-old man and an 11-year-old girl — later succumbed in the medicine ICU.

Preliminary investigations corroborated some of the serious lapses, including a disabled sprinkler valve and non-functional fire alarm system.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, who visited the hospital, announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased from the state relief fund. He ordered a judicial probe headed by retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal to examine the sequence of events, accountability, and the hospital’s fire preparedness. A separate six-member fact-finding team, led by Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh, was also formed. “Stringent action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” Majhi assured.