Cuttack: Nirmala Barik, 38, from Paikarapur in Cuttack district, was devastated after discovering her husband, Gauranga Charan Barik, 44, in the mortuary of SCB Medical College and Hospital on Monday. She struggled to accept the reality that her life partner was gone. Nirmala, a slender woman dressed in a red saree and bangles, expressed, “My husband was my only hope to lead a better life. Though many people teased me for not having any kids, my husband always defended me. Now I am alone in this cruel world.” On February 19, Gauranga, a house painter, was involved in a road accident near their village. “Initially, his condition was serious. Later, he improved after treatment. In the last few days, he was recovering very well. I was hopeful that he would be cured and come home, but now it is a dream,” Nirmala shared.
She had been resting near the ICU when the fire broke out. “I went to the first floor and requested everybody to save my husband. Smoke was present around 3 am. I was shocked to hear the news of his death,” she added. Like Nirmala, the relatives of other deceased patients have their own tragic tales. Some were preparing for discharge from the ICU within days.
Niranjan Swain, 63, the brother-in-law of deceased Menaka Rout, 56, from Sarumahi village in Kendrapada district, recounted that Menaka had finalized the date for her son’s ring ceremony on Ram Navami. “On March 1, she fell in the bathroom and lost consciousness. She was rushed to SCB and was receiving treatment at the Trauma Care Centre when she died in the fire,” he said.
Rabindra Kumar Rout, brother-in-law of Ramesh Chandra Parida, 45, from Chasapada in Cuttack district, shared that Ramesh was admitted to the Trauma Care ICU after an accident near Charbatia on March 9. “He was recovering, and the doctors planned to transfer him to the general ward after two days. But we lost him in the fire,” he lamented. Ramesh worked as a fitter in a company in Jharsuguda and had a son in Class IX. “We brought him to the hospital for his recovery, but the hospital fire took his life. This is unfortunate,” he added.
Source: The Times of India
