CPI demands judicial inquiry into Kol Fire tragedy

Last Updated: Friday, December 09, 2011, 18:25

Tags: Kolkata, CPI, Fire tragedy

The CPI on Friday demanded a judicial probe into the massive fire in Kolkata hospital in which 70 people were killed.

Pointing out that private hospitals and nursing homes are "mushrooming everywhere in the country", he said patients are being charged at a very high exorbitant rate in such facilities and there are "serious loopholes in the maintenance."

"They are only for profit. Greed for profit. It is an example of greed for profit of the corporate sector in the healthcare and government also is pampering it all over the country," Dasgupta said.

"Therefore I demand that multi-storey building should be banned in Kolkata. I demand that a judicial probe should be ordered into it immediately.

"I demand that all the private nursing homes, not only in Kolkata, but all over the country should be regularly and properly inspected and government and health ministry should ensure that the security and safety of the patients are properly maintained," the CPI leader said.

70 people have died in the fire at the private 190-bed AMRI Hospital at Dhakuria in Kolkata's southern fringes.

PTI

First Published: Friday, December 09, 2011, 18:25