30-35 mins wasted between fire breaking out and SOS calls: What police found in CCTV footage from Delhi hospital where 6 newborns died

A senior officer said, “CCTV footage showed a person, possibly the driver of the owner of the centre, Dr Naveen Khichi, and Dr Akash sitting in the reception area, which is next to the main gate… They noticed a spark in one of the wires and ran outside… the fire started at 10.55 pm. The first oxygen cylinder blew up at 11.20 pm. The first call to the PCR and fire department was made at 11.29 pm. During this period, crucial time — around 30-35 minutes — was wasted by both the driver and Dr Akash in rescuing the babies.”

At the Baby Care Hospital, speaks with the media, at Vivek Vihar, in East Delhi, Monday, May 27, 2024. A massive fire broke out at the hospital on Saturday night leaving seven newborns dead and five others injured,

The officer said there was negligence on the part of Akash and the driver, who is being identified.

Dr Akash and Dr Khichi have been arrested.

The officer added, “The centre had permission for only five beds, according to which there should be as many patients. But there were 12 babies at the time of the incident, violating rules.”

The officer added that the fire was mostly confined to the front portion of the building. The babies, most with breathing problems, were in a room on the first floor, which was towards the back, and died due to suffocation.

Amidst this chaos, the residents of Vivek Vihar are still grappling with the blaze that claimed the lives of six newborns, all younger than 25 days, on Saturday night. *

The oxygen cylinders were in the reception and front porch, according to officers. “Further, the ceiling was made of plastic material… as it was combustible, it added to the fire spreading further,” said another officer.

Another officer said Khichi allegedly claimed he employed underqualified doctors to cut costs. The hospital had 16 people on the payroll — Khichi, three other doctors, one on-call doctor, six nurses, two receptionists, and three helpers.

A newborn care facility in Vivek Vihar, New Delhi, where a devastating fire claimed the lives of seven infants. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

“The three doctors had BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery) degrees. The degrees of the nurses are also being checked to ascertain if they were qualified to handle newborns… statements of witnesses and doctors/nurses on duty are being taken,” said an officer. The doctors were being paid Rs 40,000 a month, said the police officer.

Inside the Baby Care New Born Hospital in East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar on Sunday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Police sources said Khichi did his MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College between 1999 and 2005. He did his MD and senior residency at Lady Hardinge Medical College specialising in Paediatrics. In 2013, he renovated his house in Paschim Puri into a clinic. He bought the clinic in Vivek Vihar’s B Block in 2016 before it was shut down in 2021. He opened another clinic in Vivek Vihar’s C Block in 2020.

Police have written to several agencies — DGHS, fire department — to audit the building to help the investigating officer (IO) prepare a building outline for the probe.