Police outside the NICU ward of the hospital in Jhansi. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
It was a female staff member of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College’s neonatal intensive care unit who first spotted the fire at 10:20 pm Friday night. According to a senior district official, she attempted to put it out but the medical equipment at the hospital only fanned the flames.
Soon, there was a massive blaze, forcing staff members and parents to rescue the babies inside the NICU. The fire claimed the lives of 10 newborns while 39 others have been rescued and taken to other hospitals in the district.
According to district administration and college authorities, it’s their prompt response that helped save the lives of infants but families of the newborns are devastated and angry, accusing the administration of negligence.
As chaos reigned at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College throughout the night, The Indian Express spoke to several authorities and families of the newborns to piece together the events that unfolded during and after the fire.
Rescued newborns were shifted to ward no 5 of the hospital on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
The NICU ward comprises two sections — an outer unit for babies in stable condition and an inner unit for those in critical condition.
According to officials, as smoke billowed from the ward, families of the children standing at the door tried to enter but were stopped by the hospital staff. At the time of the fire, around seven hospital staff were reportedly present in the ward.
The newborns in the outer unit were evacuated first and handed over to the waiting families outside to take them to the emergency ward, 200 metres away. Soon, however, the fire intensified, filling the ward with a thick smoke that impeded the rescue of newborns in the inner section of the ward.
As the blaze grew, some parents forced their way into the ward and, along with hospital staff, broke window panes to help disperse the smoke, officials said. With the NICU’s only exit already crowded with escaping families and staff, the babies were evacuated through the windows.
Families outside the sealed NICU and emergency ward at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
According to one parent, Kamlesh Devi, no one verified the identities of the babies. “Everyone, including parents and hospital staff, rushed the children out of the NICU in a panic. Although each baby had a chit with their parents' details attached, no one checked them and instead hurriedly took the babies to the emergency ward,” she said.
Meanwhile, college authorities, including the college principal Dr N.S. Sengar, were informed about the incident, prompting them to alert senior district officials, including District Magistrate Avinash Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh. The hospital staff and police also informed the fire department. According to Jhansi Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey, the fire was put out in 15 to 20 minutes. By this time, however, it was too late.
“All newborns in the outer unit and few of the inner units were safely rescued. However, by the time the fire intensified and smoke filled the ward, the 10 babies in the inner unit could not be saved," one official said.
According to a senior administrative official, CCTV footage from the ward showed that the fire originated from an electrical spark in the equipment.
Families outside the sealed NICU and emergency ward at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
According to one parent, Kamlesh Devi, no one verified the identities of the babies. “Everyone, including parents and hospital staff, rushed the children out of the NICU in a panic. Although each baby had a chit with their parents' details attached, no one checked them and instead hurriedly took the babies to the emergency ward,” she said.
Meanwhile, college authorities, including the college principal Dr N.S. Sengar, were informed about the incident, prompting them to alert senior district officials, including District Magistrate Avinash Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh. The hospital staff and police also informed the fire department. According to Jhansi Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey, the fire was put out in 15 to 20 minutes. By this time, however, it was too late.
“All newborns in the outer unit and few of the inner units were safely rescued. However, by the time the fire intensified and smoke filled the ward, the 10 babies in the inner unit could not be saved," one official said.
According to a senior administrative official, CCTV footage from the ward showed that the fire originated from an electrical spark in the equipment.
A newborn rescued in the fire at the NICU of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
"The hospital staff made tremendous efforts to save the children and contain the fire,” the official said. “In one instance, the clothes of a female staff member caught fire, forcing her to remove part of her attire to protect herself."
The confusion lasted even after the fire was contained as frantic parents searched for their children. "Some parents, after identifying their children, rushed them to the district hospital or private hospitals. The remaining babies were transferred to another ward within the medical college," the official said.
Meanwhile, parents blame the hospital staff for negligence. "We have no idea how the hospital staff managed inside the ward, but the outcome shows they were not properly trained to use fire extinguishers or conduct a rescue operation,” another parent, Haris Shanker, whose baby was admitted to another ward in the hospital, said.
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