National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories on Tuesday asking for a fire safety audit of all medical facilities for children, in the wake of a fire incident at a Bhopal hospital that killed four infants.
In a separate letter to Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh, Iqbal Singh Bains, the panel has demanded details of the last no-objection certificate and audit. It has also instructed that those children shifted out of Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital be given special care in other hospitals.
“NCPCR recommends that to prevent recurrence of fire incidents in hospitals, fire safety audits should be undertaken in all the hospitals/medical colleges/nursing homes having NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit), PICU (paediatric intensive care unit), SNCU (special newborn care units) and other medical facilities for children,” wrote its Chairperson, Priyank Kanoongo.
It has asked all States and UTs to submit a district-wise compliance report within 30 days.
CM promises action
A day after the death of four infants in a fire at a hospital in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday ordered for the fire safety audit of all the Government and private hospitals in the State.
The Chief Minister said the fire at the hospital in the State capital on Monday was a result of "criminal negligence", and the guilty will not be spared.
“It was our (government's) responsibility to save these children as they were under our protection. This is a serious incident," he said addressing State ministers and Government officials before the Cabinet meeting.
"This is criminal negligence. Whoever is guilty will not be spared…we need to prevent such unfortunate incidents in future. All necessary arrangements should be made to avoid such incidents,” he said.
The CM also said fire safety was now more important as oxygen plants and their supply lines were installed at various hospitals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A major fire broke out on Monday in the special newborn care unit (SNCU) located on the third floor of the government-run Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital building here, killing four infants.
“I had directed earlier also to conduct the fire safety audit of hospitals. Now, I am telling the chief secretary to submit a report about in which hospitals fire safety audit was conducted and which were left out,” Mr. Chouhan said before the State Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Mr. Chouhan also ordered for the fire safety audit of all government and private hospitals of the State again to prevent such incidents in future.
He praised State Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang, who immediately rushed to the hospital here after the blaze on Monday and took care of the relief work.
“The doctors, nurses, ward boys and other people who saved 36 infants by putting their lives in danger will be feliciated,” the CM said.
Mr. Chouhan also said he was keen to visit the spot on Monday night, but "I was stopped so that the relief work could go on smoothly."
The CM said he was issuing directives to the officials throughout the night and taking stock of the situation.
After the fire in the hospital here on Monday, Mr. Chouhan had ordered a high-level investigation into it, to be conducted by additional chief secretary, Health and Medical Education, Mohammad Suleiman.
Meanwhile, State Urban Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh, who is in-charge minister of Bhopal district, also visited the fire-hit hospital here on Tuesday along with Mr. Sarang.
“A big tragedy was averted as the infants were timely shifted to another place. At present, we have information of four deaths. The inquiry will reveal what led to their deaths. This is a sad incident and measures are being taken to avoid such incidents in future,” Mr. Singh said.
According to Mr. Sarang, a total of 40 children were admitted to the SNCU of the Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital. Out of them, 36 were undergoing treatment in different wards, he said.
Four children died in the fire that broke out probably due to a short circuit, he said.
The Chief Minister earlier announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the family members of the victims.
Inputs from PTI
