As per the hospital plan submitted by Naveen Khichi, owner of Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar, Delhi, where a massive fire broke out killing seven babies, there were two exit gates but the second exit gate had become unusable as a huge quantity of medicines and machinery was kept in front of it, The Times of India reported citing the police.
The NCPCR team visited the hospital two days after the tragedy and found serious lapses and major violations that led to the deaths of the infants. The findings included the absence of emergency exits and non-functional fire extinguishers. The hospital did not have any working fire alarms or water sprinkler systems.
The license of the Baby Care Nursing Home had also expired on March 31. The hospital was allowed to admit only five children, but at the time of the incident, 12 newborns were admitted in the hospital. The investigation team has also found that on several occasions more than 20 children were brought to the hospital.
The hospital staff also lacked basic training and preparedness for emergencies as initial investigations suggest that it was the locals who informed the nearest fire station and not the staff. The doctors working at the hospital were not qualified enough to treat the newborn baby as they only hold BAMS degrees.
Six newborn babies died in a massive fire at Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar area of East Delhi on Sunday, May 26. The fire broke out around 11.30 pm on Saturday, May 25 and soon spread to two other buildings. Initial reports revealed that 13 newborn babies were rescued from the fire and were shifted to East Delhi Advanced NICU for treatment.
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The hospital owner Dr Naveen Khichi and Dr Akash, who was on duty at the time of the incident, were arrested on Sunday. On Monday, Delhi’s Karkardooma Court sent two accused to three-day police custody in connection with the case.
(With agency inputs)
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Published: May 28, 2024, 04:33 PM IST
