In the heart of Delhi, a tragic inferno engulfed the baby care hospital, claiming the lives of seven fragile newborns reliant on ventilators in the NICU. The nation stood stunned by the calamity. At the time of the blaze, the hospital, designed to accommodate merely five beds, housed approximately 12 infants, leading to overcrowding and compromised care conditions.
Amidst the aftermath, inquiries arise, probing the culpability for the devastating fire. Is it the consequence of managerial incompetence or sheer negligence on the part of the hospital administration? Presently, legal actions have been initiated with the arrest of owner Naveen Keechi and two other implicated individuals. Additionally, a magisterial investigation has been commissioned to delve into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
The gravity of the situation is compounded by serious allegations indicating clandestine activities within the hospital premises. Illicit refilling of small oxygen cylinders clandestinely conducted in the hospital’s basement has surfaced as a potential catalyst for the inferno. The conflagration, originating from this clandestine operation, swiftly engulfed the floors above, wreaking havoc and claiming innocent lives.
Accounts provided by the Shahdara police detail the harrowing sequence of events. The fire, triggered by a short circuit in the hospital’s parking lot, resulted in a sudden power outage, plunging the facility into darkness and halting vital oxygen supply to the vulnerable infants. Subsequently, the hospital premises became engulfed in thick smoke, exacerbating the chaos. In a desperate attempt to salvage the infants from the engulfing flames, female staff resorted to handing them over to neighboring residents through a window, albeit not without severe burns inflicted upon some.
The incident marks a tragic loss, with seven innocent souls succumbing to the merciless flames. The affected infants, hailing from various locales, include the offspring of Masi Alam and Sitara, residents of Chandu Nagar, Bhajanpura; Vinod and Jyoti, residents of Jwala Nagar, Vivek Vihar; Hrithik and Nikita of Bulandshahar; Bharti, spouse of Pawan from Baghpat; royalty from Sahibabad and Uma; Noor Jahan from Kanti Nagar, Krishna Nagar; and Kusum, spouse of Naveen from Ghaziabad.
Amidst the somber aftermath, numerous pressing questions loom, demanding answers. How did the hospital continue operations with an expired license? What facilitated the clandestine gas refilling operations in the basement? Why were BAMS doctors, rather than qualified specialists, entrusted with the care of infants in the NICU? The absence of adequate fire safety measures and emergency exit protocols further compounds the inquiry, underscoring systemic failures that precipitated this tragic event.
Eyewitness accounts offer a glimpse into the catastrophic ignition. Approximately a dozen cylinders, stashed in the hospital’s basement, erupted in a cacophony of explosions, propelling debris in every direction. The reverberations echoed throughout the vicinity, prompting residents to cautiously venture outdoors, only to bear witness to the chaotic scene unfolding before them. The detonations shattered nearby glass panes, further amplifying the calamitous spectacle.
As the nation grapples with the aftermath of this devastating incident, the memory of the innocent lives lost serves as a sobering reminder of the imperative to uphold stringent safety standards and meticulous oversight in healthcare facilities.