Jhansi NICU where 10 newborns died was operating beyond capacity, new one was expected to open soon

In a cruel twist of fate, a new 51-bed NICU ward had been constructed, and authorities were planning to shift to it within a month, the principal said. “The new ward was built to accommodate more capacity,” he said.

The building with the new NICU is located next to the one where the fire broke out. Chief Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Sachin Mahour, said construction started around two years ago.

Sengar also said that all fire extinguishers installed in the ill-fated ward were operational and were used to extinguish the flames. A mock drill had been conducted in June, he said.

A newborn rescued in the fire at the NICU of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

“We had developed a detailed plan for responding to fire incidents. The medical college was divided into three sections, each supervised by a professor. All staff members were trained on fire response protocols, which proved helpful during this incident,” said the principal.

While attempting to save the newborns and extinguish the fire, a nurse, Meghna, sustained burn injuries to her leg, he said.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem of 10 newborns who died on Friday night began the following morning.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who rushed to Jhansi, said that the government is taking steps to ensure a thorough investigation. Inquiries, he said, would be conducted at three levels – by the health department, the police and district administration, besides a magisterial probe. He assured that strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

The fire broke out around 10.20 pm on Friday, and window panes had to be broken to rescue the newborns from the NICU. Thirty-nine babies were rescued but 10, who were in the inside part of the NICU where more critical babies are kept, did not make it.

The newborns who survived have been relocated to another ward within the medical college, the district hospital, as well as private hospitals. Their condition is reported to be stable.

The medical college, established in 1968, has been operating an NICU since 2012. Spread over several acres, it is the largest hospital in Bundelkhand region and caters to patients from districts such as Chitrakoot, Banda, Jalaun, Mahoba, Lalitpur as well as neighboring Madhya Pradesh.

Like the principal, Chief Fire Officer of Jhansi, Raj Kishor Rai, also said fire safety equipment was installed in the ward and was utilised during the incident.

The district administration is reviewing CCTV footage from inside the ward to determine what happened. “We have observed that efforts were made by the hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, to save patients and control the fire,” said a senior official from the Jhansi administration.

On Saturday, the NICU was sealed, and police personnel were deployed outside.

Financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh has been announced for the families of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 to the families of those injured.