Bhubaneswar, March 23 -- The fire in the Trauma ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, on 16 March 2026, which claimed around 10-12 lives, is not merely a tragic accident-it is a systemic warning. The blaze, suspected to have originated from an electrical short circuit in the early hours, spread rapidly through an oxygen-rich ICU environment, trapping critically ill patients who had little capacity to escape.

What makes the incident particularly disturbing is not only the loss of life, but the circumstances: most victims were immobile, dependent on ventilators, and died either inside the ICU or during evacuation. This raises an uncomfortable but necessary question-was the tragedy inevitable, or was it avoidable?

Hospital fire...