Jhansi hospital fire
New Delhi: A dispute has arisen between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition following the tragic death of ten newborns in a significant fire that consumed the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a hospital in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party has attributed the incident to the negligence of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College administration, claiming that a short circuit that occurred on Friday afternoon was ignored.
In response, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has mandated a high-level investigation into the matter and has requested a report by Saturday evening. Additionally, the Chief Minister has declared a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each family of the deceased infants and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
The fire is believed to have been ignited by a short circuit. Given that the ward is an oxygen-rich environment, it rapidly became highly flammable, allowing the fire to spread within moments. At the time of the incident, approximately 47 newborns were being treated in the ward.
In the latest updates regarding the Jhansi hospital fire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the incident, describing it as heart-wrenching. He tweeted that the local administration, under the guidance of the state government, is making every effort to provide assistance.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also oversees health matters, stated that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was initiated by a short circuit within the oxygen concentrator. He noted that ten newborns have perished, with seven identified and three still unrecognized; if necessary, DNA testing will be conducted.
The Samajwadi Party criticized government hospitals, labeling them as places of suffering, corruption, and negligence. In a pointed remark directed at the Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav urged Adityanath to abandon his campaign efforts in Maharashtra and concentrate on the dire state of health and medical services in Uttar Pradesh.
The fire erupted in the ward around 10:30 PM on Friday, resulting in a chaotic scene within the hospital. It took over two hours to extinguish the flames. Numerous individuals were seen escaping through windows to save themselves as the fire spread. Visual evidence captured the chaotic situation.
