New Delhi : The fire accident at Delhi's baby care hospital, in which 7 newborns died on ventilators in the NICU, shocked the entire nation. At the time of the blaze, about 12 children were being treated in the hospital which has a capacity for 5 beds. Obviously, there were two or three children on one bed.
Questions are being raised as to who is responsible for the fire. Is it mismanagement or negligence on the part of the hospital? For now, an FIR has been lodged and owner Naveen Keechi and two other people have been arrested. There will also be a magisterial inquiry into this incident.
Serious Allegations: Small oxygen cylinders were being illegally refilled in the basement of the hospital building. The fire started from there and within no time it spread to the hospital above.
According to Shahdara police, when fire broke out in the parking lot of this three-storey hospital, power went off due to short circuit. As a result, the children suffered from sudden stoppage of oxygen. After this, the hospital was filled with smoke. Some children got burnt. The female staff of the hospital handed over the children to the people living in the neighborhood through a window. The children suffered severe burns.
The Case: Seven innocent children died in the fire that broke out at a Baby Care Centre in Vivek Vihar of Shahdara district on Saturday night. At the time of the accident, a total of 12 newborns were admitted in the hospital. After the fire broke out, the police, fire department, hospital staff and public somehow took out all the 12 children through a window at the back of the hospital building and admitted them to Advanced NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Hospital in East Delhi, where seven innocent children were declared dead, while the treatment of five children is going on. Among these, the condition of one newborn is very critical.
5 Big Questions: If the license had expired then how was the hospital running? How was the gas refilling work going on in the basement? How were BAMS doctors treating children in NICU? Why were there not adequate fire safety arrangements? Why were there not adequate arrangements for emergency exit in the hospital?
How Fire Broke Out: According to eyewitnesses, about one and a half dozen cylinders kept in the basement of the hospital suddenly exploded. People came out of their houses after hearing the loud sound but seeing the cylinders falling here and there, no one went near the hospital. About 12 explosions occurred. Pieces of exploded cylinders were scattered here and there. Glass panes of the nearby houses also broke due to this.
Parents Want Justice: The families who have lost their children have demanded justice with tearful eyes. They are angry and also upset with the government. They have demanded strict action against the hospital administration. Some families also say that neither the government nor the MLA came to meet them.
7 Deceased Newborns: The seven newborns, who died in the fire, were found to be son of Masi Alam and wife Sitara, residents of Chandu Nagar, Bhajanpura; son of Vinod and Jyoti, residents of Jwala Nagar, Vivek Vihar; son of Hrithik and Nikita of Bulandshahar; daughter of Bharti, wife of Pawan of Baghpat; daughter of the prince of Sahibabad and Uma; daughter of Noor Jahan of Kanti Nagar, Krishna Nagar; and son of Kusum, wife of Naveen of Ghaziabad.
What Happened and When: A Timeline
- The fire broke out at 11:30 pm.
- The fire department received a call at 11:32 pm.
- By 11:40 pm people had gathered at the spot.
- By 11:45 pm the fire engines arrived.
- The children were taken out at 12 o'clock and taken to Gupta Nursing Home.
- The children were admitted to Singh Nursing Home at 12:10 am.
- The fire was brought under control at 12:40 am.
- Deputy Commissioner of Police Surendra Choudhary reached the spot at 12:50.
- The fire was completely extinguished by 4 am.
- At 4:10 am the crime and forensic team inspected the spot.
- By 6 a.m., family members started arriving after receiving information about the incident.
When the fire broke out: According to PTI, many people had gathered at the spot and were making videos of the fire. Many of them had also come close to the people trying to extinguish the fire. Officials were asking people to stay away. Lack of water and low-hanging electricity wires posed hurdles in rescue operations.
Deficiencies:
- The hospital had more patients than its capacity
- There was no fire extinguisher installed in the hospital.
- There was no emergency exit arrangement in the hospital.
- The hospital management failed to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
- The hospital license expired on March 31.
- The license was for only 5 beds, but 12 newborns were admitted.
- The doctors present in the hospital were not qualified to provide treatment.
- Doctors are only BAMS degree holders.
The Loss:
- Nearby buildings damaged under the impact of fire.
- The hospital was completely burnt down.
- A boutique, a private bank, an eyewear showroom in one building and a shop selling household goods in another building were also hit by the fire.
- A scooter, an ambulance and a part of a nearby park also caught fire.
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