What Went Wrong Inside Amravati’s NICU? Three Infants Die in Fire
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Amravati NICU Fire: Three infants died after a NICU fire at Amravati District Women's Hospital. Authorities ordered an investigation and fire safety audits.
By Sakshi.
New Delhi, August 24: Three infants died in a tragic incident early Monday after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a government hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, officials said. According to Amravati Police Commissioner Rakesh Ola, nearly 36 other infants were rescued following the incident that took place at the District Women's Hospital.
At around 3:15 am, a ventilator in the hospital's NICU, which houses premature and critically ill babies, caught fire, he said.
Parents of children admitted to the NICU gathered in large numbers at the hospital following the incident and blamed the administration for the tragedy.
According to the father of one child who was rescued, nurses and security personnel rushed to the scene as soon as the fire broke out and helped evacuate the infants.
Investigation into the fire
Amravati's guardian minister and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said he had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and assured that the injured were receiving all necessary medical care.
Opposition leaders called for fire safety and electrical audits of hospitals across the state, along with strict action against those responsible for any negligence.
According to Ola, the NICU is divided into three sections: one for inborn and outborn babies, another for step-down care for children preparing for discharge, and a third section. A total of 39 babies were admitted across the three sections.
A ventilator caught fire in the section for outborn babies. Six newborns were rescued from the section, but three of them later died, the official said.
Another official said six babies had been admitted to a super-speciality hospital for further treatment.
Investigation and condolences
In a post on X, Bawankule said hospital staff on duty responded quickly after the fire broke out and safely evacuated the other children.
Postmortems were ordered for the bodies, while the rescued babies were shifted to other hospitals for further care.
According to Bawankule, the fire broke out at around 4 am in the special newborn care section of the new building of the District Women's Hospital. The unit treats premature, underweight and critically ill newborns.
Some babies were shifted to the Divisional Referral Services Hospital for further treatment. Bawankule said four children were receiving treatment there, one of whom was reportedly in critical condition.
Ola said the electrical wing of the Public Works Department (PWD) and fire officials had been informed and would investigate the cause of the fire.
"I am deeply saddened by what happened in Amravati today. The government stands with the families of the deceased children, and the government and administration are providing all possible assistance," Bawankule said.
He added that the administration was closely monitoring the situation and that he had spoken to officials concerned about the incident.
Anil Deshmukh, senior NCP (SP) leader and former Maharashtra home minister, said the state government must take strict action against those responsible for any negligence.
"Today, a mountain of sorrow has fallen upon the parents of these children, and we all stand in solidarity with them in their grief," Deshmukh said in a post on X. He also called for emergency fire safety and electrical audits of hospitals across the state.
(With PTI Inputs)
