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Fire at Yamunanagar NICU ward: DG health slams staff for poor facilities
Dissatisfied with the facilities at the district hospital, director general health services (DGHS) Dr Sonia Trikha slammed the staff and officials, including the district civil surgeon and principal medical officer.
Two days after a fire incident at the special newborn care unit (SNCU) or NICU ward at the Mukund Lal District Civil Hospital in Yamunanagar, a team from the state health department led by director general health services (DGHS) Dr Sonia Trikha on Monday visited the site.
Dissatisfied with the facilities at the district hospital, Dr Trikha slammed the staff and officials, including the district civil surgeon and principal medical officer.
She visited the ward to ascertain the cause of the fire which is said to have been caused due to a short circuit in an air-conditioner (A/C). She said that there was “negligence in preventive maintenance of the A/C that led to the short circuit”.
The DGHS showed displeasure over the health facilities being provided at the hospital and also the delay in handing over the new building by the Public Works Department (PWD) to the health department.
“Out of required basic facilities provided under 18 departments, only two departments are functional -- paediatrics and trauma. It is shocking to know that the labour room is non-operational for the last two years mostly due to the pandemic and the patients have to queue at the sub-divisional hospital in Jagadhari. Half of the staff from the gynaecology department has been shifted there. Efforts are being made to restart the labour room at the earliest,” Trikha told the HT over the phone.
The DGHS said the administration did good work of immediately rescuing nine children. DGHS appreciated a class four employee, who managed to switch off the Oxygen supply and averted more damage.
She also met ASI Ram Prasad of Yamunanagar Police, who was the first to reach enter the ward amid fire and rescued the infants. The ASI has also been awarded by SP Mohit Handa.
Civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said, “Most of the old part of the building, including the labour room has been demolished and the new building is yet not complete. Due to some inter-departmental issues in the PWD, there have been several months of delay. We have already demanded an early handover as the public has already been facing inconvenience.”
