Bhubaneswar, June 1: The Cuttack district collector has been asked to start a probe to ascertain the cause of the fire in the cardiology department of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack yesterday.

Department officials and experts will be on the inquiry committee, which has been asked to submit its report within seven days.

"If anyone is found guilty of negligence in duty and responsible for the fire, action will be taken against him or her," said health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who held a meeting to review the fire safety measures in government hospitals, including SCB, today.

Fire mishaps in various government hospitals, including the Sishu Bhavan in Cuttack and SCB in the recent past, have caused concern among health officials, patients and their relatives.

A decision was taken at the meeting today that fire safety measures would be strengthened at the three government medical colleges in Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla, the Acharya Harihar Cancer Research Centre and Sishu Bhavan in Cutttack and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. The fire services and general electrical departments were asked to inspect the electrical installation and fire safety equipment within a month and submit a report to the government.

A comprehensive guideline will be prepared on the fire safety measures to be made mandatory in all private nursing homes and hospitals. District collectors will be asked to enforce the guideline.

"If the owners of private clinical establishments fail to implement the guideline, legal action will be taken against them," said the minister.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of health, fire service and works departments including health secretary Arti Ahuja, works secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan and additional director general (fire service) Santosh Bala. Principal of SCB Medical College Sidharth Das and superintendent B.K. Rath were also present.