Adilabad, Sep 22: Two preterm infants died after a fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad late Monday night, officials said.
The fire broke out at around 11:50 pm on September 21, when 27 infants were undergoing treatment in the unit. According to Adilabad District Medical and Health Officer Dr Sadhana, the blaze reportedly started after an air-conditioner in the SNCU reception area caught fire.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Thick smoke filled the enclosed unit following the incident. Hospital staff and patient attendants broke glass windows to allow the smoke to escape and helped evacuate the infants, officials said.
“The two infants who died, aged five and four days respectively, were preterm babies,” Dr Sadhana said. One of the infants died immediately after the incident, while the other succumbed around four hours later.
“As soon as the fire was noticed, patient attendants broke the glass windows to allow the smoke to escape and helped evacuate the babies from the affected areas,” she said.
A fire tender was rushed to the hospital after the incident and the blaze was brought under control.
The remaining infants were shifted to nearby private hospitals for further treatment. The Health Minister’s office said the condition of the other children was stable and none had developed complications.
Hospital Director Jai Singh said the SNCU was filled with thick smoke when the rescue operation began.
Collector Rajarshi Shah and Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan reached the hospital and oversaw the rescue operations.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed condolences to the families of the two infants and termed their deaths “extremely tragic”. He ordered an inquiry and directed officials to submit a report on the cause of the fire.
The Chief Minister also directed authorities to strengthen fire and other safety measures in hospitals across the state to prevent similar incidents.
Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha also expressed grief over the deaths and ordered an inquiry into the incident. He assured the affected families of government support.
