Keraniganj Fire: Condition of 8 patients improving, say doctors

The condition of at least eight out of 13 workers who sustained burns in Keraniganj fire on December 11 yesterday showed first signs of improvement, doctors said yesterday.

The eight are being treated at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), while the five others are on life support at Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

The patients on life support are still in critical condition, said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the institute.

Nineteen employees of a factory, who were severely burnt in a fire in Keraniganj on December 11, have died at DMCH so far.

DMCH Director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin said the patients who are undergoing treatment at the HDU, have suffered 20 to 40 percent burn injuries.

All the patients who were brought to the hospital with inhalation and deep burn injuries are improving, he said.

“We are providing all necessary medicines to the victims free of cost to continue their treatment properly,” said Nasir.

Dr Sen said the five patients on life support have sustained 40 to 60 percent burn injuries.

Rahmat Ali, brother-in-law of Firoz Uddin Firoz (39) who suffered over 50 percent burns, said Firoz -- who had remained unconscious since the incident -- regained consciousness yesterday.

“Firoz was asking about his three-and-half-year-old daughter Fatema, when his wife met him in the hospital,” said Rahmat.

Dr Sen, however, said although some of the critically-injured patients are able to talk, they are still under high risk.