Bhandara hosp fire: CS, MO suspended, 3 terminated

Nagpur: Acting swiftly on a report submitted by an eight-member committee inquiring into the Bhandara district general hospital fire that killed 10 premature babies, the state government on Thursday suspended civil surgeon Dr Pramod Khandate, medical officer Dr Archana Meshram and in-charge sister Jyoti Bharaskar.
The government also transferred additional civil surgeon Dr Sunita Badhe to a non-functional post beside terminating paediatrician Dr Sushil Ambade and in charge sisters Smita Ambilduke and Shubhangi Satawane.
The panel indicted all of them for dereliction of duty. All the three terminated health staffers were working on contract basis.
Addressing the media in Mumbai, state public health minister Rajesh Tope said that the panel found that the fire broke out between 1am to 1.30am following a spark in the controller panel of radiant warmers in the hospital’s Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) on January 9.
“Inflammable material such as insulation, plastic material, cotton beds, wires were kept between two baby warmers. The temperature also rose. Some babies were on oxygen which fuelled the fire. The room was also closed. The fire died down but the smoke spread filled the SNCU,” said Tope.
Tope further said forensic report stated that three babies died of shock due to burns while seven of them passed away due to suffocation from smoke.
Casualties were from outborn section only while seven babies from inborn section were rescued by Ambilduke and Sathawane along with others.
The health minister said the on-duty nurses were expected to be at the nursing station to have a view of both outborn and inborn sections but they were not there. “They were outside, making some reports after feeding the babies. Suddenly they heard sounds and found smoke. Yet, they failed in their duties,” said Tope.
Tope said the report was submitted late on Wednesday evening following which the stringent action came to be taken against all the staff including civil surgeon, who was the overall administrative and supervising in charge of the hospital.
He attributed the spark in radiant warmers to a couple of factors. “Voltage fluctuation, wear and tear of diode and triode could be the reasons,” he said, adding that biomedical engineers have been strictly told to ensure proper functioning of radiant warmers in government hospital’s across the state.
On the day of the tragedy, people had complained that voltage fluctuation was a common complaint at the hospital’s SNCU.
The government has also disbursed Rs1 crore for restoration of the SNCU which will have new ACs, electrical fittings, interiors.
Based on the report, Tope sought to blame the previous Devendra Fadnavis led state government for rushing with inauguration of the SNCU building in 2015. “It was constructed by PWD but before taking possession, it was not ensured that the building had all fire safety equipment as per norms,” he said.
The health minister said an action plan has been readied and health commissioner N Ramaswami-led panel will submit a report on fire safety in all government hospitals in next two weeks.
Surprisingly, the government is yet to initiate any criminal proceedings while the Bhandara police is investigating accidental case under CrPC.
TOI had reported that the panel led by divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar submitted its report on Tuesday, January 19. Other members of the panel comprise fire director Prabhat Rahangdale, health director Dr Sadhana Tayade, GMCH paediatric head Dr Dipty Jain, PWD superintendent engineer (electrical) Hemant Patil, deputy chief fire officer (Mumbai) Rajendra Choudhary, and additional collector of Bhandara.
SPARK BEHIND THE FIRE
* Radiant baby warmers control panel spark led to the fire which left the 10 babies dead
* Insulation, plastic material, cotton beds, wires and other inflammable material made matter worse
* Two baby warmers burned completely
* Some babies were on oxygen which fuelled the fire
* Special ward filled with smoke
* Three babies died of shock due to burn, 7 suffocated to death, as per forensic report
* Staffers against whom action taken found guilty of dereliction of duty