Ramaiah Memorial Hospital Fire: Shocking Details on Patient's Death

Ramaiah Memorial Hospital Fire: How Did Sujay's Death Occur?

Sujay's father, Sujathan, expressed his heartbreak, stating, "For God’s sake, all of you please hear my plea and support me. This is my humble request. I am a 65-year-old man. I am a senior citizen. My son died because of the fire and the hospital's lapse, as there was no staff available to help him. That’s how my son died."

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Sujay, only 34 years old, was admitted to Ramaiah Memorial Hospital in Bangalore on September 1, 2024, after suffering from pneumonia. His father recounts the family's harrowing experience: "On August 26th, my son was affected by pneumonia, and he took medicines from a private doctor in Mathikere in Bangalore. On September 1st, his oxygen levels dropped, so we admitted him to Ramaiah Memorial Hospital. After he was admitted to the ICU, they said he must be put on a ventilator. We agreed. Then they said he must be placed on ECMO, and the machine costs 7 lakhs. And then it became 10 lakhs. Then they said it is 25 lakhs. Then they said it is 45 lakhs. We said, no matter what the amount, please save my son."

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Despite the financial burden, the family remained hopeful as Sujay was transferred to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) and placed on ECMO. His father noted, "My son began recovering. Everything was normal. On September 18, he called his wife and made her rub his feet. He said, 'You can remove all the wires. I want to go home.' He also said, 'Do not take my urine out artificially; I can use the bathroom.'"

Ramaiah Memorial Hospital Fire: How Did Sujay's Death Occur?

Sujay's father, Sujathan, expressed his heartbreak, stating, "For God’s sake, all of you please hear my plea and support me. This is my humble request. I am a 65-year-old man. I am a senior citizen. My son died because of the fire and the hospital's lapse, as there was no staff available to help him. That’s how my son died."

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We are a small, dedicated team at The Probe, committed to in-depth, slow journalism that dives deeper than daily headlines. We can't sustain our vital work without your support. Please consider contributing to our social impact projects: Support Us or Become a Member of The Probe. Even your smallest support will help us keep our journalism alive.

Sujay, only 34 years old, was admitted to Ramaiah Memorial Hospital in Bangalore on September 1, 2024, after suffering from pneumonia. His father recounts the family's harrowing experience: "On August 26th, my son was affected by pneumonia, and he took medicines from a private doctor in Mathikere in Bangalore. On September 1st, his oxygen levels dropped, so we admitted him to Ramaiah Memorial Hospital. After he was admitted to the ICU, they said he must be put on a ventilator. We agreed. Then they said he must be placed on ECMO, and the machine costs 7 lakhs. And then it became 10 lakhs. Then they said it is 25 lakhs. Then they said it is 45 lakhs. We said, no matter what the amount, please save my son."

Stay informed with The Probe. Get original stories, exclusive insights, and thoughtful, in-depth analysis delivered straight to your phone. Join our WhatsApp channel now! Click the link to join: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaXEzAk90x2otXl7Lo0L

Despite the financial burden, the family remained hopeful as Sujay was transferred to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) and placed on ECMO. His father noted, "My son began recovering. Everything was normal. On September 18, he called his wife and made her rub his feet. He said, 'You can remove all the wires. I want to go home.' He also said, 'Do not take my urine out artificially; I can use the bathroom.'"

Tragically, the family’s hopes were shattered when, at 1 PM on the day of the fire (September 19), Sujathan alleges that fire engulfed the CCU ward which in turn led to the death of his son. "My daughter-in-law saw smoke emanating from that place. She saw it at around 1:05 PM," he recalled, revealing the horrifying moment that led to their loss.

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Ramaiah Memorial Hospital Fire: New Details Raise Concerns

In the wake of the tragic fire incident at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, Rohini Jayan, the wife of deceased patient Sujay Sujathan, recounted the heartbreaking moments that transpired. "When I went to the door, they said that the patient is safe and there’s no problem, and they said they were caring for him," she said. However, her relief was short-lived. After being informed that patients had been moved to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), Rohini described a chilling turn of events: "He was evacuated only at 1.50. His condition was not good. They gave him CPR and then gestured that he had passed away."

Adding to the growing concerns, Sujay's brother, Sujin Sujathan Panicker, alleged that his brother's evacuation was delayed. "My sister-in-law went there (CCU ward) and met my brother-in-law at 12:40. She met and talked to him, and they were happy. She told him that everything was okay and that they could go home soon," he said. He further emphasised the timeline of the tragedy, stating, "The fire broke out around 1 PM. Despite asking multiple times, the hospital kept saying that everyone was safe. They said they had moved everyone, but around 1:50, she witnessed that he was moved out right in front of her eyes." Sujin detailed the devastating scene he described: "When she saw him, his eyes had already bulged out, and there was smoke. At 1:54, when I called, she said he had passed away. I have all the recordings. If you access the CCTV footage, you will be able to prove all these things."

Sujin expressed frustration over the hospital's lack of communication regarding Sujay's death, noting, "After that, we insisted multiple times. For about an hour and a half, we kept insisting—not just us, multiple people, everyone insisted to show the patient. They made us wait for an hour and a half. So, around 4:30, we went and saw that... They didn’t declare; they didn’t utter anything from their mouth, but it was evident that my brother had passed away".

Regarding the hospital's discharge procedures, Sujin stated, "They didn’t give us any papers, nor did they do any formalities. Nobody cared about us after that."

The Probe reached out to Chandru K. Gowda, the Assistant Public Relations Officer at Gokula Education Foundation (Medical). The Ramaiah Group, through their Trust Gokula Education Foundation - Medical, focuses on Healthcare. He also shared that he had been managing media relations for Ramaiah Memorial Hospital for many years, until a new team took over this year and then he moved up the ladder to become the APRO for the Trust. Chandru mentioned that he arrived at the hospital as soon as he heard about the fire incident. 

During our conversation, Chandru revealed, "There were three patients in the CCU ward at the time of the incident." He acknowledged that one patient became critical due to the fire but reassured that the patient was recovering. "We don’t know exactly what happened... It is suspected short-circuit," he said when asked about the cause of the fire. He elaborated, "Within 3 to 4 minutes, we immediately shifted them to another ICU... Yes, three patients were there. Only two patients are safe."

When questioned about the third patient, Chandru stated, "The third patient is in critical condition because of that incident. He survived." He further clarified, "Not critical... Not up to the mark... He is getting well. Some shock only. Now he is doing good."

Tragic Turn of Events: More Details Emerge

In a startling revelation during the interview, Chandru disclosed crucial details regarding Sujay's death. Initially, during the same conversation, Chandru stated that a third patient was in critical condition but recovering. However, he soon stated in the same conversation that the third patient he was referring to is none other than Sujay, who tragically passed away.

“Three patients were in the same room,” Chandru stated, clarifying the situation surrounding Sujay’s death. “Among these three patients, he is the only person who passed away.” The revelation led to further inquiries about the patient's condition before his passing.

We pressed Chandru for more information: “You mentioned earlier that one patient was in critical condition. Who was that?”. To which Chandru confirmed, “He only. Sujathan.”

Chandru further explained that Sujay was experiencing shock, a situation that went out of hand during the patient transfer process. “Until 4 o'clock, we tried our best to save him. But he coundn't survive,” he lamented.

When asked about the circumstances surrounding Sujay’s death, Chandru noted that he had been on an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machine. “If you take out the machine, then the patient will face a problem,” he emphasised.

During the chaotic moments of the fire outbreak at the facility, Chandru explained that while the ECMO machine was not removed, the urgency of the situation necessitated moving Sujay to another ICU. “It’s not like we took it out… we tried to keep him alive until 4 o'clock. We did everything immediately, but the patient could not support himself at that time,” he added.

The Probe inquired whether the ECMO machine was shifted along with Sujay, to which Chandru responded affirmatively. However, he indicated that during the transfer, a critical connection may have been lost. “To shift him to another ICU, will it not take one to two minutes?” he asked.

“It wasn’t because of the fire incident that he died,” Chandru clarified, suggesting that the death was a consequence of the shifting process rather than the incident itself. “Yes, during the shifting process. But until 4 p.m., we tried, but he couldn’t survive.”

"Sujay's Life Could Have Been Saved"

In a shocking turn of events, Chandru admitted that the tragic death of Sujay could have been avoided if the fire incident had not occurred. "Yes. Yes," Chandru confirmed when asked if Sujay would have survived had the fire not taken place.

Prema Sridevi, The Probe's Editor in Chief pressed further: "If this fire incident would not have happened, then obviously Sujay could have been saved, no?" To which Chandru replied, "Maybe," indicating that the fire incident significantly affected Sujay's chances of survival. "It’s such a big loss for the family, isn’t it? If this fire incident hadn’t occurred, obviously he would have been alive," Sridevi stated, to which Chandru responded affirmatively stating, "Correct, Correct, Correct". 

In the aftermath of the fire, we also reached out to Dr. Simanta Sharma, who stated that he handles media and communications for Ramaiah Memorial Hospital. We asked Dr Sharma if Chandru's account of events related to the fire can be taken into consideration. Dr. Sharma did not disencourage us but instead encouraged us to follow up with Chandru for further verifications regarding his account. Additionally, we spoke to Debjani, another media relations manager at the hospital, who requested a questionnaire and assured us of a response. However, after submitting our questions, we received no further communication.

The Probe would like to place on record that, since this is a public interest issue concerning the loss of human life, we have preserved all audio records of the conversations we have had with the concerned authorities, which contain a lot of revealing information and can be made available to investigating agencies if they wish to make further inquiries.

Immediately after the fire incident, M. R. Sreenivasa Murthy, Chief Executive of Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, reported to the media that the fire incident, which occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m. in the cardiology department’s CCU unit, was promptly managed. "All our staff immediately worked to evacuate all our patients. The fire protection sprinklers immediately activated. The hospital’s fire tender and other equipment began pumping water," he stated, assuring that there had been no loss of life or serious injuries.

Dr. Prakash V S, Head of the Cardiology Department, echoed this sentiment, asserting that all patients and staff were safe. "Nothing happened to the patients, and nothing happened to the staff either. All were shifted," he stated. Dr. Anupama V Hegde, a consultant in cardiology at the hospital, reinforced these claims, emphasising that everyone had exited the hospital safely within minutes of the fire being detected.

However, these assurances stand in stark contrast to Chandru's earlier remarks about the circumstances surrounding Sujay’s death. An FIR has been registered in the case by the Bangalore police. As the investigation continues into the circumstances of Sujay’s death, the conflicting accounts from hospital officials, Chandru and the family raise serious questions about emergency protocols and patient care during crisis situations. 

Sujay's father expressed his heart-wrenching anguish, stating, "I reached the hospital as soon as I got to know about the fire and waited for about one and a half hours. Then I contacted several local channels and asked them what had happened to my son and to get me some information. No one informed me."

His voice trembled with emotion as he recounted the distressing experience of witnessing his son's condition. "I have never seen my son in such a state until now. Not once was my son admitted to any hospital. He was a healthy person. My son died because of a lapse on the hospital’s part, as there was no staff there to help him. That is how my son died," he asserted. 

Sujathan's plea for justice extends beyond personal grief; it reflects the broader concern for accountability within medical institutions. "All of you please decide what must be done and tell me. I am a father. My son was a father to two children, aged 5 years and 2 years. My daughter-in-law is not working. I am a 65-year-old man. I am a senior citizen. You need to find a solution for this," he urged in a video message. 

While conflicting reports have come to the fore regarding the fire incident, we don’t know which version to believe, and we are not saying who is right or wrong. However, this situation is enough reason for a medical board to be constituted and an inquiry to be conducted into how Sujay lost his life. 

We undertake these stories in the public interest, advocating for hospitals to implement mechanisms that can prevent such incidents in the future. In the event of accidents, hospitals must be better prepared to evacuate patients and provide clear, transparent information to the public and the media. For now, our sympathies are with Sujay’s family, and we hope they receive answers to their pressing questions and, ultimately, that Sujay gets the justice he deserves.