Panel to investigate Indian hospital fire that killed ten babies

Ten newborn babies died from burns and suffocation after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit in northern India

• Pramod Thomas
• 17 November, 2024

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By: Pramod Thomas

THE government of Uttar Pradesh, India, has formed a four-member committee to investigate the fire at the children’s ward of a medical college in Jhansi. The tragic incident claimed the lives of 10 newborns, with initial reports suggesting that an electrical short circuit was the cause.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed the divisional commissioner of Jhansi, the fire department, and the deputy inspector general of police to submit a report on the incident within 12 hours.

Amid claims that the medical college had expired fire extinguishers, deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak said that all firefighting equipment was in working condition and that a fire safety audit had been conducted in February, followed by a mock drill in June. The principal of the medical college, Dr Narendra Singh Sengar, dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”

The committee, led by the Director General of Medical Education and Training, has been tasked with determining the cause of the fire, investigating potential negligence, and submitting a report within seven days.

“Sixteen children are undergoing treatment in other wards of the medical college. The affected infants, aged three to four days, have been placed on warmers,” Pathak said.

The fire, which broke out at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), primarily affected premature infants. Although the blaze was extinguished, the atmosphere remains heavy with grief. Parents, many of them young mothers, gathered outside the ward, seeking solace in each other’s company.

Yakub Mansuri, who was sleeping outside the children’s ward when the fire broke out, managed to rescue several newborns by breaking through a window but tragically lost his two daughters. Santoshi, a mother who gave birth 11 days earlier, sat weeping on the ground, unable to come to terms with her loss.

Post-mortems were conducted on seven infants on Saturday (16), while autopsies for three others were delayed as their parents remain unidentified, according to Additional Superintendent of Police (City), Gyanendra Kumar Singh.

District magistrate Avinash Kumar said that the fire began around 10.45pm on Friday (15) in the NICU wards of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, one of the largest government hospitals in the Bundelkhand region, likely due to an electrical short circuit.

President Droupadi Murmu described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking.” Prime minister Narendra Modi announced financial aid for each bereaved family.

The tragedy has sparked a political blame game. With bypolls for nine assembly seats scheduled for 20 November, opposition parties have criticised the BJP government.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the administration of negligence, while party president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a thorough investigation and legal action against those responsible.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called for Rs 10 million (£99,000) in compensation for each affected family and urged the chief minister to prioritise healthcare improvements over election campaigns. “Gorakhpur should not be repeated,” he added.

Adityanath expressed his condolences and directed officials to provide every possible assistance to the victims. At a rally in Prayagraj, he attributed the fire to a short circuit, adding, “To ensure the safety of other children, we coordinated relief and rescue efforts throughout the night.”

Pathak said that a three-tier investigation has been initiated, involving the divisional commissioner, DIG, and the fire department. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh reported that 16 injured children are receiving treatment and efforts are underway to account for all infants present in the NICU during the fire. She noted that some parents took their children home after the incident, complicating the verification process.

(PTI)