News Analysis India

Tag: Bhandara district hospital fire

  • Hospital fire: Markets, shops shut in Bhandara over bandh call

    By PTI
    BHANDARA: Markets and other commercial establishments in most parts of Bhandara remained closed on Monday in response to a bandh called the BJP to express anguish over the death of 10 infants in a fire at the district hospital.

    BJP workers took out a bike rally in the Maharashtra district, appealing to people to keep their establishments closed and support the bandh.

    BJP MP from Bhandara, Sunil Mendhe, on Sunday said his party wanted either a judicial inquiry or a probe by a retired judge into the Saturday’s incident in which 10 infants were killed in a blaze at the district hospital.

    Medhe said they also want a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved families.

    Referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s visit to the hospital earlier on Sunday, the MP had said they expected that he would immediately suspend the civil surgeon, doctors and other staff and order a detailed inquiry, but nothing happened.

    The BJP has taken a decision to call a bandh in Bhandara on Monday to draw the attention of the government, he said.

     

  • Three infants died of burns, seven suffocated to death: Maharashtra health minister on hospital fire

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: At least three of the ten infants died of burn injuries in the Bhandara district hospital fire in Maharashtra while seven others died of suffocation caused by smoke on Saturday, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, adding that a probe is ordered and the guilty will not be spared.

    He said Rs 5 lakh would be paid to family members of each of the deceased infant.

    According to doctors, ten newborn babies, aged between a month and three months, died after fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit of the hospital around 1.30 am.

    Seven out of the 17 babies in the affected unit were rescued.

    Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope says out of 10 infants, 7 are died due to suffocation while three were burnt to death. The postmortem of infant bodies will not be carried out & handed over to families. Ajit Pawar ordered fire audit of govt hospitals. @NewIndianXpress
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) January 9, 2021

    “The preliminary information available indicated that three infants died from burn injuries in the Bhandara district civil hospital while suffocation caused by smoke is the cause of the death of seven other infants,” Tope said in a video message.

    He said the hospital staff saved seven other infants admitted in the affected Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

    ​ALSO READ | Maharashtra to give Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for kin of infants who died in hospital fire, govt orders inquiry

    “The medical staff on duty opened the windows and doors of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit wards and shifted the infants to adjoining wards. However, they could not save the 10 infants,” he said.

    Tope said, “chief minister Uddhav Thackeray informed me of sanctioning Rs five lakh to each to the family members of the deceased infants”.

    He said the bodies have been sent to their respective homes for conducting the last rites.

    “Persons responsible for this incident will not be spared. A detailed inquiry is ordered. We will try to avoid such incidents in future by learning from this tragedy,” he added.

    Tope said he was rushing to the Bhandara civil hospital.