Two infants died after a fire broke out in the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of the children’s ward at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Government Hospital in Adilabad after midnight on Monday.
The incident reportedly occurred after an air-conditioner in the SNCU exploded, triggering panic among hospital staff and the attendants of the 27 infants undergoing treatment in incubators. The unit was soon filled with thick smoke, making it difficult for the infants to breathe.
Hospital staff and family members immediately raised an alarm and began evacuating the infants. The power supply to the ward was also disconnected as a precautionary measure. Staff broke the glass panes to rescue the infants from the smoke-filled unit.
A five-day-old infant from Ichoda, whose father was identified as Saleem, died in the incident. The remaining 26 infants, including three who were in critical condition, were shifted by ambulances to private hospitals for emergency treatment. One of the critically ill infants later died.
According to officials, 25 infants were subsequently reported to be out of danger, while three sustained injuries.
RIMS Director Jaisingh, who was on rounds at the time of the incident, rushed to the SNCU along with hospital staff and ambulance drivers and supervised the evacuation efforts.
District Collector Rajarshi Shah visited the hospital and inspected the situation. He said that 25 infants had been shifted to private hospitals for treatment.
Fire department personnel responded to the incident and took measures to prevent the flames from spreading to other parts of the hospital. Thus, the fire was contained within the children’s ward.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the fire incident at the SNCU ward of RIMS Hospital in Adilabad.
He said the death of two children in the incident was deeply distressing and conveyed his condolences to their families.
He directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the children undergoing treatment and to continuously monitor their health condition.
The Chief Minister also ordered an inquiry into the causes of the incident and directed officials to submit a report. He instructed authorities to strengthen safety measures in all hospitals to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
Meanwhile, BRS Adilabad district president and former Minister Jogu Ramanna also visited the hospital and alleged negligence on the part of the hospital administration. He questioned why the air-conditioner was kept running despite concerns over its maintenance and demanded ex gratia for the families of the children who died.