Fatal Hospital Fire Exposes Safety Lapses and Unlicensed Operation
The tragic fire at the Baby Care New Born hospital in East Delhi's Vivek Vihar, which claimed the lives of seven newborn infants and injured five others, has been attributed to severe lapses in fire safety measures and operation beyond the license's validity, as revealed by Delhi Police on Sunday.
Inadequate Fire Safety Provisions
The Baby Care New Born hospital had no firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers, and lacked proper arrangements for entry, exit, and emergency evacuation, stated Surendra Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara).
Expired Hospital License
Investigations further unearthed that the hospital's license, issued by the Delhi government, had expired on March 31, 2024. Despite this, the hospital had continued to operate, exceeding its authorized bed capacity.
The hospital's license had lapsed on March 31st, and it was only authorized for five beds, added Choudhary. However, twelve children were present at the time of the fire.
Unqualified Medical Personnel
Adding to the litany of deficiencies, the police discovered that the hospital's duty roster included doctors holding BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) degrees, which did not qualify them to provide care for children.
Our investigations revealed that the doctors on duty were not qualified to treat newborn infants requiring neonatal intensive care, said the DCP.
Lack of Fire Department Clearance
Officials from the Fire Department confirmed that the hospital had not obtained a no objection certificate (NOC) from their department.
The building did not possess a fire NOC, said a DFS official on condition of anonymity. We will be examining the related documentation on Monday.
Arrests and Magisterial Inquiry
Dr. Naveen Kichi, the hospital's owner and the doctor on shift during the fire, has been arrested and charged with endangering the safety of others (Section 336) and causing death by negligence (Section 304A) under the Indian Penal Code.
The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire incident that spread to two neighboring buildings on Saturday. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) deployed 16 fire tenders to extinguish the blaze.
Prime Minister's Condolences and Assistance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident, describing it as heart-rending. He announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured.
