December 3, 2023 – The death toll from the tragic fire at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, shortens to 17, as the tiny lives of two infants rescued from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were claimed after serious injuries.
The devastating fire, which occurred on November 21, had already led to the death of 15 new lives.
The fire broke out in the NICU ward, where the medical college had the care of premature and critically ill infants, situated on the third floor.
Preliminary reports on the cause of the fire suggest that it emanated from a short circuit somewhere in the air-conditioning system.
Thick smoke engulfed the ward, making it nearly impossible to rescue some of the unfortunate little souls and adding to the death toll.
Hospital staff and firefighters managed to evacuate 35 infants, too late for many, who had already succumbed to the dangers of toxic smoke.
Government Response
A three-tier inquiry has been instituted into the incident by the Uttar Pradesh government.
A committee of experts has been formed to identify the lapses in fire safety standards and to suggest remedial measures for the future.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh to the family members of the dead and asked officials to ensure the treatment of survivors in the best possible way.
Lapses in Safety Standards
The preliminary encounter attributed the incident to grave violations of hospital safety.
Reports had it that fire extinguishers in the NICU were inoperative, while emergency exit protocols were lacking.
Families of victims are alleging culpable negligence, claiming that timely fire drills and safety audits were completely nonexistent.
The hospital administration received backlash allegations that necessary fire safety rules in such a sensitive area were not in place.
Public and Expert Reaction
This incident has further incensed the public, now demanding stricter enforcement of fire safety standards across hospitals.
Health experts called for regular inspections of critical units like the NICU, where patients are at a high risk.
Investigating at three levels, aiming more at identifying accountability and efforts to reform safety regulations in hospitals; the government plans to take action in order to constrict the possibility of further occurrence.
The audits of public hospitals are mandated to identify and remedy safety lapses immediately.
This tragedy serves as a reminder of how critical strong safety protocols are within healthcare facilities.
Hopefully, this incident will herald a significant reform in the management of safety regulations, such that such tragic events will never flicker in the horizon again.
