Shaken patients recount hour of panic

Kolkata: Patients and their family members who were there at the MCH building of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) at the time of the fire, narrated the ordeal they had gone through.

Abdul Kashem, whose 15-year-old son was undergoing treatment at the Hematology department, turned a rescuer for many patients who were on their beds, when the pharmacy caught fire.

Kashem's son Rashid Reza had been undergoing treatment at the Hematology department for the past few days. Kashem said that he found smoke coming out of the pharmacy and immediately rushed to the third floor of the building.

He rescued his son and other patients from both male and female wards of the department and helped them to come out of the building by using the staircase. The patients did not face any difficulties while coming out of the building as smoke had not spread till then. He said that the patients were taken to other departments by hospital staff.

"I spotted smoke billowing out of the pharmacy at around 8 am and rushed to the third floor of the building, where my son had been admitted. I told the other patients to leave the room as fire had broken out on the ground floor. I also urged them not to panic. I accompanied my son and others to the ground floor. The hospital staff also acted promptly and evacuated the building," Kashem said.

Md Samsuddin (70), who was admitted at the General Medicine ward, spotted smoke and came out of the building. He became panicked following the incident. He tried to contact his family members but was unable to do so as he had no mobile phone with him. Police and hospital staff took him to the emergency ward.

"I saw thick black smoke coming out of the pharmacy and left the place. I also told others to follow me. We got a little panicked but the hospital staff helped us secure a place at the other department," Samsuddin said.