 "Delhi hospital fire")
A massive fire broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar, East Delhi, on Saturday night, cascading into two adjoining structures. The incident claimed the lives of at least seven newborns and left five others battling injuries.
Hospital-owner Dr Naveen Khichi and an on-duty doctor found themselves in custody following the incident.
Shockingly, many parents were left to discover the heartbreaking fate of their infants through secondary sources like news outlets or word of mouth, as neither the healthcare authorities nor the hospital extended notification, reported Mint.
As the investigation unfolds, alarming revelations of negligence on the part of the hospital’s owner have emerged.
Operational violations surface
Initial investigations uncovered glaring operational violations at the private neonatal facility. Authorities revealed that the hospital had been allegedly operating without a valid licence, which had expired on March 31, 2024, as per the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Government of Delhi.
“Even the expired licence issued to the said hospital allowed for five beds only,” disclosed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary, cited by news agency PTI.
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Despite this limitation, at the time of the tragedy, the hospital had admitted twelve newborns, a clear breach of regulatory protocols.
Moreover, it was also discovered that the ‘Baby Care New Born Child Hospital’ had three additional branches in Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh and Haryana’s Faridabad and Gurugram.
Lack of safety measures
Making the situation even worse was the lack of essential safety measures within the hospital premises. Authorities revealed the absence of a fire extinguisher and emergency exits.
“The building has no fire NOC. We will also check documents related to the NOC on Monday,” an official from the Fire Department was quoted by PTI.
The absence of these critical safety measures resulted in the explosion of oxygen cylinders within the two-storey building, causing collateral damage to adjacent structures.
Unauthorised practices at the Delhi hospital
Residents in the vicinity raised concerns regarding unauthorised activities within the hospital premises. Mukesh Bansal, a local resident, alleged the presence of an unauthorised oxygen refilling centre within the building.
“We had complained about it to the local councillor as well. But nothing was done. It was all happening under the nose of the police,” Bansal lamented, shedding light on the apparent impunity with which such activities were conducted.
Further testimonies revealed long-standing operations of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) within the facility, coupled with suspicions of disputed land usage enabling dual business operations.
Unqualified doctors
Disturbing reports emerged regarding the qualifications of medical personnel on duty. The hospital’s duty roster reportedly included doctors with BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) qualifications, raising concerns over their competency to provide adequate care to newborns.
“During the investigations, we found out that the doctors are not qualified/ competent to treat the newborn children in need of neonatal intensive care, as they are BAMS [Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery] degree holders only,” said the DCP.
A member of Sewa Dal further claimed the hospital staff ran away soon after the hospital building caught fire.
Nurse’s abusive behaviour
The Delhi hospital reportedly faced allegations of abuse towards a newborn child in the past.
According to News18, in 2021, Dr Kichi, the owner of the hospital, filed a petition with the Delhi High Court to nullify an FIR lodged against him regarding an accusation of a hospital nurse physically harming a newborn baby.
Dr Kichi argued in the case of ‘mistreatment’ that he was not involved in the alleged incidents and that the CCTV footage only captured the nurse’s abusive actions towards the infants.
Subsequently, he retracted his plea upon discovering that he was neither named as a defendant nor as a witness in the police chargesheet.
Tragic outcome and ongoing investigation
The fire, which broke out at around 11:30 pm on Saturday, resulted in extensive damage to the hospital premises and adjacent structures. Locals and members of an NGO were among the first responders, aiding in the evacuation efforts.
Despite the valiant efforts of rescue teams and firefighters, the toll was severe. Of the twelve infants admitted, one succumbed to the blaze on-site, while six others died upon arrival at a nearby hospital.
The deceased children included four boys and three girls. All were 15 days old except one boy aged 25 days. The bodies have been shifted to the GTB Hospital for postmortem, the police said.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence), 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).
The initial cause of the fire is stated to be a short circuit but a probe is on, DCP Choudhary said.
Magisterial probe on
In response to the tragedy, the Delhi government swiftly initiated a magisterial probe, with authorities vowing to hold those responsible for negligence to account.
Expressions of grief and condolences poured in from President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lt Governor VK Saxena, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
PM Modi announced an ex-gratia relief package of Rs 2,00,000 from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased, along with Rs 50,000 to the parents of the injured.
Echoing sentiments of justice and accountability, CM Kejriwal and State Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj reiterated their commitment to ensuring the strictest punishment for those found culpable in the tragedy.
