Safety concerns at SMS hospital repeatedly ignored

SIX PATIENTS SUFFOCATED TO DEATH AFTER A FIRE BROKE OUT AT SMS HOSPITAL'S TRAUMA CENTRE

- Senjuti Sengupta

On July 30, 2025, an official at the trauma centre of the Rajasthan government-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur had alerted the hospital and health authorities about water leakage, faulty wiring and poor building infrastructure at the intensive care unit (ICU), where a massive fire on Sunday night killed six patients.

Since then, four more letters were sent to the hospital authorities flagging safety concerns to the ICU, but no action was taken. Of the five letters, three were written by the nodal officer of trauma centre, Dr Anurag Dhakad, to hospital superintendent Dr Sushil Bhatiboth of whom were suspended after the fire incident - while two letters were written to Dhakad by the nursing superintendent, Dr Ganga Lal and others.