By PTI
PUNE: The doctors had told Vivek Khatik (31) that his parents, admitted to the ICU of the Ahmednagar civil hospital for treatment of coronavirus infection, were recovering.
Little did he know that a fire was going to claim his father’s life on a Diwali day.
The only solace for him is that he could save his mother, admitted in the same ward.
Khatik’s father Kadu Bal Gangadhar Khatik (65) was among the eleven COVID-19 patients who died when a fire broke out in the ICU of the district hospital around 11 on Saturday morning.
“My parents were admitted in the ICU ward for the last few days. They were recovering. Today in the morning the hospital staff asked us to go out as the ward was to be cleaned,” he told PTI, tears rolling down his eyes.
He stepped out to get juice for them from a nearby stall.
“As soon as I reached the stall, I got a call from a relative about fire in the hospital. I rushed back and saw black smoke coming out from the ICU section. I barged inside,” he said.
He first took his mother Alka Khatik (50) out in the general ward, and then went back to rescue his father.
Vivek lifted his father and with the help of others brought him out.
“To revive him, I started pumping his chest but it was too late,” he said, choking with tears.
Bhagwan Pawar’s father Bhivaji Pawar (80) too was on the path of recovery.
“We had talked about discharge last night and he was very happy. But fate had something else in store,” he said.
He too had stepped out from the hospital as cleaning was going on, he said.
“While we were outside, fire broke out and black smoke started billowing from the ICU. We broke the window panes in order to rescue the patients,” Pawar said.
There was panic and chaos all around, he said.
Had they not been asked to leave the ward, he could have saved his father, he said.
Shyam Ghodechor, who lost his mother Satyabhama Ghodechor in the tragedy, blamed the administration.
“My mother was shifted to the ICU five days ago. She was recovering well. Today at 9 am, the relatives waiting outside the ICU were asked to go out as cleaning was planned. After the fire broke out, thick smoke started coming out. I and other relatives who were waiting outside tried to break the window panes using stones but could not go inside as there was smoke all over,” he said.
His mother possibly died due to disruption of oxygen supply as the pipe supplying the life-saving gas was found to be broken, he said.
Avinash Vidhate, grandson of 80-year-old Rambha Bai Vidhate, said she was rescued from the ICU in time.
She was now at a private hospital, he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat visited the hospital.
A compensation of Rs two lakh will be given to the kin of the deceased over and above the Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia, he told reporters.
