The death of 10 infants in the neonatal unit of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi, in Uttar Pradesh, last week points to the series of irregularities and lapses that still plague our healthcare, especially critical care, infrastructure.
Reports suggest that the by the time the staff in the NICU got hold of the fire extinguisher, the blaze was out of control and all it took was 20 minutes for it to snuff out the lives of 10 newborns. There was absolute chaos in the hospital with no one knowing what to do in the critical moments, adding to the number of casualties. The medical and security staff had no clue as to what was happening and hence acted at cross purposes. There were little in the form of laid-out procedures even for rescue. That the parents who waited outside the neonatal unit were instrumental in saving many lives only goes to highlight the inefficiency of the management of the hospital.
As per preliminary reports, a short circuit in the electric switchboard sparked the fire, which spread in no time. What caused the short circuit is yet to be ascertained although excessive load on the switchboard is suspected.
The takeaway from the emerging reports is that there is an immediate and urgent need for training the handlers of critical and sensitive installations in emergency response in facilities such as hospitals that are frequented by people. Every second is precious immediately after an accident occurs as it is crucial to saving lives.
There are procedures for security audits in hospitals and other such structures but they are observed more in breach than in observance. Those who are in charge often look the other way. There must be legislative measures to hold those who are in charge accountable for lapses. That is the minimum that we owe the infants.
