Jaipur: If fearlessness had a face, then it would be that of constables Hari Mohan and Lalit Sharma, of the SMS Hospital police station. The two went beyond their regular duties to evacuate critically ill patients amid raging fire at the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Medicine of the SMS Hospital Sunday late night.The duo was in the hospital for a routine medical examination of a lab technician, a victim of an assault case, around 11:15 pm Sunday when they saw people screaming and running from the ICU on the first floor. As soon as they found out what had happened, the duo, without giving it a second thought, rushed inside to assist in evacuating the patients. TOI spoke to the two constables Monday afternoon. “I informed my senior officers, including the SHO, and entered the ICU. I first helped a young boy admitted with a head injury. He kept asking me if he would survive. Even after reaching the ground floor, he didn’t want to leave me,” Hari Mohan recalled. “We also opened a few fire-fighting devices mounted on the ICU wall, which helped to douse the fire,” he added. His colleague Lalit Sharma described how the attendants’ fears turned into relief upon seeing the uniformed men. “People were screaming for help, and except for a few, nobody had the courage to go inside the fire-engulfed ICU. With the help of ward boys and nursing staff, we managed to get at least 12 patients out safely. Some were on oxygen support,” he said. The constables said they were unsure if their efforts would save lives, but they knew that this was necessary. Hari Mohan said, “Around 1:30 am it was confirmed that six people had died, but most patients had been shifted safely. We then left for the police station. The glass windows were shattering because of the fire.” The fire did not leave Hari Mohan unscathed. “Around 12:30 am, while carrying a stretcher, I struggled to breathe. The hospital authorities put me on oxygen and IV fluids, and I was discharged in the morning.”
Men in uniform help evacuate critically ill | Jaipur News
