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Two nurses booked for criminal negligence for Maharashtra hospital fire
The ward had 17 infants admitted to it when the fire broke out. Seven of them were rescued. The two nurses and a paediatrician were earlier terminated for negligence following an inquiry
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Two nurses have been booked for criminal negligence in connection with the fire at a ward in Maharashtra’s Bhandara District Hospital that left 10 infants dead on January 9. “The responsibility has been fixed... The investigation is in progress,” said director-general of police Hemant Nagrale.
The ward had 17 infants admitted to it when the fire broke out. Seven of them were rescued. The two nurses and a paediatrician were earlier terminated for negligence following an inquiry. A civil surgeon, the medical officer on duty, and another nurse were suspended. An additional civil surgeon was transferred.
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The inquiry report said the two nurses were supposed to be at nursing stations but were out for paperwork at the time of the fire.
Home minister Anil Deshmukh said, “The two nurses have been booked for culpable homicide and the further investigation is being done by the deputy superintendent of police.”
The report said the ward caught fire due to either voltage fluctuation or internal insulation wear out in the control panel of the baby warmers. It cited a forensic report and added three infants died of the shock due to burns while seven others of suffocation. The report said inflammable material including plastic, cotton beds aggravated the fire.
