The Baby Care New Born Hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar, where seven babies tragically perished in a fire, had two exits according to the hospital plan submitted by owner Naveen Khichi. However, the second exit was rendered unusable due to the storage of medicines and machinery against it, a Times of India report cited police as saying.
A National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) team that inspected the hospital two days after the tragedy found serious lapses and key violations. These included the lack of emergency exits, non-functional fire extinguishers, and the absence of operational fire alarms or water sprinkler systems.
The hospital, which was only permitted to admit five infants, had 12 newborn children admitted at the time of the fire. The investigation team also discovered that up to 20 children were admitted to the hospital at various times.
The hospital staff lacked basic training and preparedness for emergencies. Initial findings indicate that it was locals, not the staff, who alerted the nearest fire station. Furthermore, the doctors employed by the hospital lacked the necessary qualifications to treat newborn children, as they only held BAMS degrees.
The fire broke out at around 11.30 pm on Saturday, May 25, and quickly spread to two adjacent buildings. Initial reports indicated that 13 newborns were rescued from the fire and transferred to East Delhi Advance NICU for treatment. The hospital’s owner, who was on duty at the time of the incident, and two other individuals were arrested on Sunday. Delhi’s Karkardooma Court remanded the accused to three days of police custody on Monday.
