In a horrible tragedy that smacked of tragic medical negligence, five newborns, not even a week old, were killed and another five severely burned after a short-circuit sparked a blaze in a hospital nursery in Patiala on Saturday. One infant was rushed to the PGI hospital in Chandigarh with 40% burns.
The fire at the state-run Rajendra hospital was apparently caused by the overloading of a lone plug from which power was sourced to photo-therapy unit used to treat babies for jaundice.
Heaters and other electrical gadgets were also connected to the plug in the room where the infants, seven boys and three girls, were undergoing treatment. Authorities said five babies died instantaneously as the glasstopped unit came crushing down on them. Soon after, fire engulfed the section. A blast was heard moments before the section plunged into darkness.
Minister quits over incubator blaze
A day after five newborns were killed in a fire that raged through a hospital nursery in Patiala, Punjab medical education and research minister Tikshan Sud resigned on Sunday taking responsibility for the tragedy. The government also suspended three employees, including a lady doctor, of the Rajindra Hospital where the incident took place.
Sud sent his resignation to Balbir Punj, in-charge of BJP in Punjab, triggering a row within the ruling SAD-BJP coalition in the state, with some saying that the minister should have submitted his letter to CM Parkash Singh Badal.
Punj, however, said, “It wasn’t Parkash Singh Badal who made him minister. It was BJP which had recommended his name. We are looking into the details of the incident after which the party will take a decision whether to forward the resignation to the CM.’’
Badal’s media adviser Harcharan Bains said the CM’s office hadn’t received any communication either from Sud or BJP yet.
After the suspension orders of Dr Neha Sharma, nurse Sheela and sweeper Satya reached the hospital, an angry medical staff went on strike, demanding action against the medical superintendent, instead of the three employees who claimed to have battled the flames to rescue five infants. Interestingly, SAD leader and party candidate for the Patiala Lok Sabha election Prem Singh Chandumajra had announced awards for the three suspended employees for their efforts to save the newborns. Sud, however, said they were suspended on the basis of a probe by the director, research and medical education.
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