The Maharashtra public health department has suspended five officials and employees following an inquiry into the August 24 fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Amravati District Women’s Hospital that killed three infants, officials said.
The government has also ordered action against contractual staff found responsible and directed the public works department to act against officials linked to the incident. Two companies named in the inquiry have also faced action, including a move to blacklist them. To prevent similar incidents, the government has ordered the installation of CCTV systems in SNCUs and NICUs and made fire-safety mock drills mandatory in all hospitals. Government hospitals have also been directed to strictly implement standard operating procedures for fire and electrical safety and equipment maintenance.
Additionally, district authorities and municipal commissioners have been given three months to complete electrical and fire-safety audits of hospitals under their jurisdiction, they said.
Serious deficiencies were reported in equipment maintenance and technical inspection, they said. A fire broke out around 3.15am on Monday in the neonatal unit on the third floor of the hospital, where 39 newborns were admitted. Thirty-six babies were rescued, while six critically affected infants were shifted to a nearby super-speciality hospital. Three newborns died. A ventilator is suspected to have triggered the fire. The fire pump house was also found locked.
The inquiry committee, headed by Health Services Commissioner Sanjay Katkar, found serious lapses in maintenance and safety systems, according to officials. It said the ventilator required timely maintenance and repairs, while the fire alarm and sprinkler systems were not operational.
