Delhi Hospital Fire: Baby Centre Where 7 Newborns Died Not New to Controversy

New Delhi: The East Delhi's Baby Care Newborn Hospital where 7 babies were killed in a massive fire incident is not new to controversy. Amid the fire accident, the FIR registered against the medical care centre revealed that the hospital was unregistered. Several other lapses were highlighted.

This is not the first time that this children's hospital has come under the scanner. In 2021, a staff of the baby care centre was accused of assaulting a baby during treatment.

A case was registered against the staff for assaulting the baby. A CCTV footage went viral back then, showing the nurse beating the baby due to which the boy's hand was fractured.

What Do We Know So Far in the Fire Accident?

On Saturday, May 25, a massive fire engulfed the Newborn Baby Care Hospital in the Vivek Vihar area. A total of 12 babies were evacuated from the hospital, out of which seven died and five are in critical condition. Amid this, the Delhi government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter and several glaring lapses have come to the fore in the fire incident.

• Permit Expired, NOC Given:

The investigation of the baby care nursing home revealed that its permit expired on March 31 and the hospital was being run illegally. Moreover, the permit given to the hospital was for only five beds but some 25 to 30 children were admitted to the hospital when the fire broke out. The hospital was not given any NOC by the Delhi Fire Department.

• No proper Arrangement For Entry and Exit:

Additionally, it was found that there was no proper arrangement for proper entry and exit at the hospital

• No Fire Extinguisher Installed:

The police said that there was no fire extinguisher installed in the hospital for any emergency in case of fire and there was no emergency exit.

So far, two people including the hospital owner Naveen Khichi (45) have been arrested. Apart from Khichi, Aakash (26), the doctor on duty at the time of the incident has also been arrested.  

A case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence), 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).