At least 18 people were killed in a fire at the intensive care unit of a hospital in Bharuch, Gujarat, in the early hours of Saturday. Those killed included 16 coronavirus patients and 2 nurses.

This adds to the series of fires that have occurred in multiple States after the outbreak of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Gujarat itself saw a fire at a hospital in Surat that killed five persons less than a week ago. An ICU fire at Virar in Maharashtra had claimed the life of 15 COVID-19 patients on April 23, while another fire in Thane killed four people five days ago. In the wake of the fires, the Bombay High Court has ordered fire audits at all COVID facilities. ICUs, which are bearing the brunt as COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties are rushed in, are particularly susceptible to fires as they carry large amounts of pure oxygen.

As the second wave of coronavirus infections with its unprecedented case load puts immense pressure on the healthcare systems across the country, it is exposing some of the systemic issues such as flouting of safety norms. The Hindu's G. Ananthakrishnan has written that the National Building Code (NBC), published by the Bureau of Indian Standards, is a “recommendatory document”, and States have been asked to incorporate it into their local building bylaws. However, the provisions of the Code are ignored in practice. The lack of inspections or third party certifications are also an issue.

The systemic issues in India's healthcare infrastructure that are being brought to the fore by the pandemic, and the number of lives that they cost along with the pandemic itself, are what make this story important.

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