Odisha hospital blast: Student activists demonstrate outside minister’s house

NEW DELHI: Several student activists of Odisha on Tuesday staged a demonstration outside the official residence of Health Minister Niranjan Pujari, demanding the arrest of the owner of a hospital where three people died in an AC compressor explosion. The protesters, under the banner of the All Odisha Students’ Voice (AOSV), initially took out a rally to gherao the minister’s residence, but were stopped by the police, officials said.

Later, they demonstrated in front of Pujari’s residence, and even hurled tomatoes, demanding the immediate arrest of Hi-Tech Hospital owner Tirupati Panigrahi, said the officials. On December 29, an explosion occurred at the hospital’s roof while filling gas in an AC, in which four persons suffered serious burn injuries. Three of the injured died during treatment at the same hospital.

“We demand the cancellation of the hospital’s licence and prompt arrest of Panigrahi,” AOSV president Bibhu Prasad Jena said. On Monday, the Odisha Congress’ student and youth wings had also staged protests outside the minister’s residence against the hospital owner. Panigrahi, however, has denied any negligence on part of the hospital in providing treatment to the injured patients.