Cuttack, May 31: Helpless patients had to be rushed out of the five-storey cardiac wing of SCB Medical College and Hospital after a fire broke out on its second floor today, raising concerns about safety measures at the premier health care facility.

Although no one was injured in the incident, the authorities had to shift out 104 patients from the wards of Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences. These included 20 patients undergoing treatment at the two intensive care units (ICU) located on the floor where the fire broke out.

Later, the patients were seen propped up in wheelchairs and even on the ground, their saline bottles hanging precariously by their side, outside the hospital.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. Eyewitnesses said 20 fire personnel took nearly half an hour to bring the fire under control.

Senior officials of SCB said the fire was caused by a short-circuit in one of the air conditioners in the duty room.

"The fire, which originated in the duty room of the doctors and nurses on the second floor, was due to a short-circuit," said health minister, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who had rushed to the spot to make an on-spot assessment of the situation.

"We will take measures so that safety of the patients can be ensured and similar incidents avoided in future," Nayak said.

Panic gripped the hospital when the fire broke out at 3.30pm. Though it was confined to the second floor, the authorities had to shift all the patients as smoke had engulfed the entire building.

"We heard a loud noise and immediately the entire corridor and the department was filled with black smoke. We had to rush down from the third floor with our patients," said Bijay Prusty, an attendant of a patient.

Prusty alleged that not a single fire extinguisher was in sight nor were there multiple exits, which caused problems in evacuating patients from the ICU and other wards.

Pratap Mishra, SCB administrative officer, said an internal inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the cause of fire, as the general electricity department had conducted an inspection of the wiring last year.

"We have already started the process of taking fire safety measures in all the buildings following suggestions of the fire services department. All the advanced fire safety equipment will be installed within the next couple of months," Mishra said.

Many patients expressed anguish over poor fire safety measures as the health care facility, which has witnessed fire mishaps in the past. In August 2012 and 2013, two minor fires broke out in the neurosurgery department. Again in September 2014, another mishap happened in the central ICU of the hospital. No casualty was reported in the incidents.

Last October, a massive fire broke out at another government-run hospital, Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC). Over 80 patients and staff members had to be evacuated from the new building following the fire that had reportedly occurred due to a short-circuit in a storeroom.

"We are fortunate that our patients have been saved. Many attendants had broken the windowpanes so that the smoke could find a way out quickly," said Sidhart Das, another attendant. Das said that despite several incidents of fire at SCB and AHRCC, the state government had failed to take measures to prevent such mishaps at hospitals.