Devendra Fadnavis Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the fire incident at Bhandara Civil Hospital, in which 10 newborns died, was heart-wrenching and exposes serious lapses on part of the hospital administration. “The incident is both shocking and shameful for a progressive state like Maharashtra, which can afford quality healthcare and infrastructure,” said the former chief minister.
Fadnavis, who visited the hospital to assess the situation, said, “I paid a visit to the hospital in Bhandara. Before seeing this world, 10 newborns passed away for no fault of theirs. They paid the price for someone else’s carelessness and mistake.”
While demanding a thorough investigation in the incident, Fadnavis said, ” There was no provision for fire safety. In the month of May, a proposal was put up before the Health Services directorate and forwarded to the Health Ministry. But no decision was taken on the same. Had a timely decision been taken, this tragedy could have been avoided.”
However, he added that it was heartening to see efforts by security personnel and others, who helped save seven babies.
Fadnavis demanded criminal offence cases, with charges of culpable homicide, in connection to the fire. He also sought a thorough fire audit of the hospital.