Fire at Sircilla medical college hostel sparks negligence claims

A fire at the girls hostel of Government Medical College in Rajanna Sircilla caused property damage but no injuries. While officials cited a possible student lapse, junior doctors alleged systemic failure and poor safety standards in newly established medical colleges.

Hyderabad: A fire broke out on Wednesday morning in the girls hostel of the Government Medical College (GMC) in Rajanna Sircilla. While the incident caused significant damage to student property, no injuries were reported as the majority of students were attending college at the time.

Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr Narendra Kumar said that a preliminary investigation suggested the fire originated due to a lapse on the part of a medical student. The DME report indicated that the girl students had left the room but had lit a ritual lamp (Deepam), and at the same time a mobile charger also remained plugged into an electrical socket, which could have triggered the fire. Smoke was detected by hostel staff, who alerted the fire department and managed to contain the flames before they spread further.

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The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA), however, in an official press release on Wednesday said that the incident took place due to a serious systemic failure. The T-JUDA argued that the fire should not be dismissed as a mere accident.

The junior doctors maintained that the incident was due to negligence on the part of authorities to ensure that there are enough safety standards in newly established medical colleges. The fire incident has ignited a debate regarding the infrastructure provided to medical students in the newly established medical colleges.

The T-JUDA claimed that students are being cramped into single rooms in rented and remote buildings. The junior doctors claimed that there are no permanent hostels in newly established medical colleges. Most of these facilities are unhygienic and congested. The T-JUDA said that there is a lack of basic fire safety measures and adequate space and described the hostels as hazardous and unfit for medical students.