Amravati hospital fire: CCTV footage reveals fire alarm rang three times
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Charred remains of medical equipment after a fire that killed three newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a government hospital, in Amravati district, Maharashtra. File | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Newly surfaced CCTV footage of the ventilator blast at Dufferin District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharasthra, that killed three newborns, has revealed the fire alarm ringing three times and red warning lights flashing in the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) before the fire broke out. The footage, along with details from a committee report, has raised questions over the hospital’s response.
The CCTV footage shows staff either asleep or absent from the ward as the alarms sounded and red warning lights flashed in the wee hours of August 24, when three newborns died in the SNCU, while 36 others were rescued from the hospital.
The footage has raised new questions around the sequence of events between the first warning signals and the outbreak of the fire. During the visit to the hospital, the staff told The Hindu that one of the nurses who was feeding a baby noticed the fire and that the fire alarms failed to function. However, the CCTV footage shows a different account with two nurses sleeping outside the SNCU waking up after the explosion and running towards the unit thereafter.
According to the footage time-stamp, the first alarm buzzed at around 2:50 a.m. The report submitted by Public Health Commissioner Sanjay Katkar states that fire broke out between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., while the fire brigade reached the spot around 3:34 a.m. and 3: 40 a.m.
Former Guardian Minister Dr. Sunil Deshmukh, who revealed the 30-page report, alleged a cover-up in the inquiry report. “The action was taken against someone else, while the culprits are someone else. The Zilla Parishad CEO and district collector were also responsible, but they were not held accountable.”
The inquiry report held the defective Schiller ventilator, the hospital’s negligence in using the fire system, negligence of the service provider, and inadequate emergency training for the staff as responsible for the incident.
A Schiller ventilator had also caught fire at the same hospital in 2022, which the committee cited as evidence of a design defect. However, the forensic report is still awaited and the cause of the fire has not been conclusively established.
The report also revealed that the ventilator plugs had been connected inconsistently, as in the monitor and compressor were connected to non-UPS sockets, while the humidifier was connected to a UPS. The ventilator was one of two Schiller “Graphnet Advance” units. Its warranty had been extended until July 10, 2026. The burnt unit itself was a replacement installed after the 2022 fire.
“25 people have died in such ventilator blasts in different parts of the State, and in many cases the same company names appear. The government must set up an inquiry,” said Dr. Deshmukh, alleging that the components were brought from China and assembled in India.
According to the report, two newborns died of shock and burns, while the third died of asphyxia caused by smoke inhalation.
The fire-safety renewal audit conducted on July 30 found that the hydrant and sprinkler pumps needed major maintenance and were not operating in automatic mode. Repairs were carried out on August 22, but the hospital was not provided with the final audit report.
The report also found that only 1 of the 9 staff members had received fire-safety training, while an earlier training session on June 16 had covered only the use of fire extinguishers.
An electrical audit was conducted on July 31, but its report never reached the department.
On September 10, the State Public Health Department released a summary of the inquiry report and ordered the suspension of five officials and employees. Those suspended included Sushilkumar Wakchaure, Deputy Director, Health Services, Akola Circle;Vinod Pawar, Medical Superintendent of Hospital of the Women’s Hospital, Amravati; Arun Salunkhe, Additional District Surgeon, Amravati; the hospital’s administrative officer and its electrician.
The inquiry committee held them responsible for lapses in supervisory control. It also found the blacklisted M/S AOV International LLP guilty in the incident.
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