Bhubaneswar: MAY 26, 2024: 7 newborns died and 12 were rescued following a fire that took place at the Baby Care New Born Hospital, a children’s hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar.
NOVEMBER 16: 10 newborns died, 16 critical following a fire in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of government owned Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
The above two fire incidents in hospitals in India are not two isolated instances. As on today, the country has recorded a massive 659 such incidents of hospital fires across the country singeing the life of over 239 human lives. Here is a list of states that reported maximum hospitals fires.
SERIAL NUMBER (DESCENDING) | STATES | FIRE INCIDENTS |
(1) | DELHI | 81 |
(2) | MAHARSHTRA | 80 |
(3) | ANDHRA PRADESH | 76 |
(4) | KARNATAKA | 51 |
(5) | GUJARAT | 50 |
(6) | PUNJAB | 50 |
(7) | UTTAR PRADESH | 48 |
(8) | TAMI LNADU | 46 |
(9) | KERALA | 43 |
(10) | HARYANA | 32 |
(11) | MADHYA PRADESH | 23 |
(12) | WEST BENGAL | 21 |
(13) | ODISHA | 11 |
Below is given the list of major hospital fire incidents where the number of deaths has been in around double digits. As on today, the AMRI hospital fire had been the worst in the country where 113 lives got singed.
YEAR, PLACE | HOSPITAL | PUBLIC/PRIVATE | FIRE CAUSE | NEGLIGENCE | DEATHS |
2011, KOLKATA (WB) | AMRI HOSPITAL | PRIVATE | Inflammable materials stored in basement caught fire by electric shock | Illegal storage, Fire extinguishers, sprinklers not working | 113 |
2016, BERHAMPORE (WB) | MURSHIDABAD MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL | GOVERNMENT | Short circuit in air conditioner | Main emergency gate locked | 50 |
2018, MUMBAI | ESIC KAMGAR HOSPITAL | GOVERNMENT | Short circuit | Fire extinguishers and sprinklers not functioning, no fire NOC | 8 |
2021, BHANDARA, MAHARASHTRA | BANDARA DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL | GOVERNMENT | Short circuit in radiant warmer’s control panel in SNCU unit | No fire fighting system in SNCU | 10 |
2021, MUMBAI MAHARASHTRA | SUN RISE HOSPITAL | PRIVATE | NO INFO AVAILABLE | Non-functional firefighting systems, No fire NOC | 11 |
2024, DELHI | BABY CARE NEW BORN HOSPITAL | PRIVATE | Short Circuit | No info available | 7 |
WHY THE INFERNO?
An analysis of the causes of the hospital fire incidents across the states over the last 50- year period reveals shortcircuits as the main reason behind the cause of fires in hospitals across the country. Short circuits account for over 90% of cases. The cause of rest of the fire incidents is attributed to explosion of oxygen cylinders, overheating of chemicals (spirit), storage of inflammable materials, and materials stored for building construction etc.
Moreover, in the category of shortcircuits, while nearly 2/3rd of cases were due to short circuit in ACs, the cause behind the rest of the shortcircuits were attributed to varied reasons like shortcircuits in ventilators, UPS, Dialysis operating theather, short circuit in refrigerator in laboratory, SC in water heater etc, short circuit due to leakage in oxygen pipeline.
It has also been observed that high casualties were linked to non-functional of firefighting equipments in the hospitals and also no fire-proof planning at the hospital level.
WHY JHANSI HAPPENED?
As per agency reports, the preliminary cause of Jhansi Medical College fire is attributed to short circuit in oxygen concentrator. It seems the National Neonatal Forum (NNF) guidelines for the Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCU) were thrown to the wind.
If the guidelines given below adhered to, then this fire mishap would not have happened and lives of 10 babies who joined the hospital get a lease of life could have been saved. So, who’s accountable?
- This is a government hospital. NNF conducts its accreditation inspection every two years and also at regular intervals.
- The QUESTION here is what report NNF inspection had given, and whether it was implemented by hospital authorities?
- The fire shows Jhansi medical college lacking in inspections to ensure that all safety measures are in place and functioning correctly.
- The rapid spread of fire in the hospital could be attributed to Short Circuit in oxygen concentration unit.
As per NNF protocol, the oxygen unit need to have been turned off immediately to limit the ferocity and spread of the fire.
