Free Treatment for Students, Two Medical Boards Formed

Students admitted to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation in a fire at a madrasa in Fatullah, Narayanganj, are receiving free medical treatment. Two medical boards have also been formed to oversee the treatment of the injured students, Health State Minister MA Muhit said.

The boards comprise 13 to 14 specialist doctors, he added.

The state minister made the remarks on Tuesday (November 10) after visiting the students receiving treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

He said two medical boards had already been formed to supervise the treatment and care of the students. All necessary medical tests and investigations are being provided free of charge.

Explaining the nature of their injuries, the minister said the fire had caused serious problems in the students' respiratory tracts. They had experienced severe breathing difficulties and sustained injuries to their airways.

The library and administrative section of the five-storey building were located on the second floor. As the fire reportedly originated in that section, students staying on the upper floors were exposed to smoke.

Following the outbreak of the fire, panicked students rushed to escape from the building. The minister said smoke inhalation and airway injuries, combined with psychological trauma caused by the panic, had led to their hospitalisation.

Regarding their treatment, he said doctors at the Burn Institute had been providing dedicated care from the beginning. Each patient was being closely monitored and treated under the supervision of the two medical boards.

Expressing optimism about their recovery, Muhit said many of the students were showing signs of improvement.

"We hope to discharge around 30 more students by this evening or tonight. The others are also doing well so far," he said.

Regarding the four students currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the minister said they were receiving appropriate critical care and expressed hope that they would recover soon.

Highlighting the frequent occurrence of fire incidents, the state minister urged everyone to become more aware of fire safety. He also stressed the need to decentralise specialised burn treatment services so that such facilities could be made available outside Dhaka.

Speaking about the possible causes of the fire and the potential unauthorised use of the building, Muhit said students at many private educational institutions rent residential buildings and convert them into hostels.

He stressed the importance of examining whether buildings were being used for purposes other than those for which they were originally constructed.

He said every building was subject to specific building regulations governing its design, construction and intended use.

Referring to previous fires at hotels and restaurants, the minister noted that many such establishments had not been designed to operate as restaurants. Similarly, residential buildings located along major roads were sometimes being used for commercial purposes in violation of regulations.

He said a similar situation might have existed at the madrasa building. It was possible that the structure had originally been constructed as a residential building and later converted into a madrasa.

He emphasised the need for stricter enforcement of building regulations and more precise oversight of how buildings are constructed and used.

The exact cause of the madrasa fire has not yet been established, the minister said. According to preliminary information, however, the fire may have originated from an electrical short circuit in the administrative section and library.

The fire broke out at around 2:00am on Monday (November 9) on the second floor of the five-storey building of Jamia Ashrafia Madrasa in the Signboard area of Fatullah, Narayanganj.

The entire library on that floor was destroyed in the blaze. Rescuers initially suspected that an electrical short circuit had triggered the fire.

Smoke spread rapidly throughout the building shortly after the fire broke out, triggering panic among the students. Many rushed to escape, while 79 students suffering from smoke inhalation were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Of them, 16 were discharged after receiving initial treatment.

Doctors said none of the injured students had visible burn injuries. However, their respiratory tracts had been severely affected by toxic smoke.

Four students are currently being treated in the ICU, with one reported to be in critical condition.

sks