Day after fire at Delhi's AIIMS, admin says hospital fully functional; Harsh Vardhan reviews situation, officials initiate internal inquiry

New Delhi: A day after a fire broke out on its premises, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was fully functional on Sunday and all patients, who were shifted out as a precautionary measure, were taken back to their respective wards, hospital authorities said. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed the situation at the premier hospital, a statement from the hospital said. The AIIMS administration has initiated an internal inquiry to look into the cause of the fire and further strengthen preventive measure, the statement added. [caption id=“attachment_7179271” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Smoke bellows out after a fire broke out at the teaching block of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. PTI[/caption] “Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare reviewed the situation on site at AIIMS along with director, AIIMS, and senior faculty members in the morning,” the hospital said. After the fire broke out in the teaching block of the hospital, resident doctors, nurses and paramedical staff ensured that patients did not face inconvenience, hospital sources said. The fire, which is suspected to have started from the microbiology laboratory area, had affected some laboratories and office areas. “The hospital area has not been affected by the fire and there has been no casualty. As a precautionary measure, the AIIMS administration had shifted patients from AB wing of the hospital to other areas of the hospital. These patients have been shifted back to their respective wards in the AB wing,” the statement said. The hospital along with the emergency department and emergency laboratories is fully functional, it added. “AIIMS has a regular fire prevention system. There are fire personnel deployed round-the-clock with fire fighting safety systems being regularly tested including clearance of fire exits and corridors. Awareness of fire fighting systems among staff is conducted regularly,” the statement added. The AIIMS director is holding a meeting with all heads of the departments and administrative staff to assess the situation for full restoration of laboratory services as soon as possible so that patient care does not suffer, the statement said. Sources said irrespective of Saturday being a holiday, all doctors worked tirelessly from 6 pm onwards to ensure that patients were not hassled and even on Sunday, everyone was present on the ground. A major fire broke out at the teaching block of the AIIMS here on Saturday, destroying samples and medical reports, officials said. Around 32 patients, who were in the ward connected to the affected areas through a corridor, were evacuated. Former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley is admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the cardio-neuro centre of the hospital, which is housed in a different building in the complex. Several prominent leaders have been visiting the hospital for the past few days to enquire about his health.