The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the state-run Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, which serves families from Bundelkhand and even Madhya Pradesh, was already operating well beyond its capacity before the tragic fire on Friday night that claimed the lives of 10 newborns. According to a report in The Indian Express, the unit, designed to accommodate 18 babies, was housing 49 at the time of the blaze. Dr. N.S. Sengar, the college principal, explained that many families from surrounding areas prefer to seek treatment at the hospital due to the high costs elsewhere.
“We manage to provide treatment to all children who come to us,” he said. In a cruel twist of fate, a new 51-bed NICU ward had been constructed, and authorities were planning to shift to it within a month, the principal said. “The new ward was built to accommodate more capacity,” he said.
In a tragic twist, a new 51-bed NICU ward had been completed and was set to open within a month, designed to accommodate more infants. The new ward is located next to the one that was affected by the fire. Chief Medical Superintendent Dr. Sachin Mahour confirmed that construction had started two years ago. Dr. Sengar added that all the fire extinguishers in the affected ward were functional and used during the emergency response. A mock drill had also been conducted in June.
“We had developed a detailed plan for responding to fire incidents. The medical college was divided into three sections, each supervised by a professor. All staff members were trained on fire response protocols, which proved helpful during this incident,” said the principal.
During the attempt to save the newborns and control the flames, nurse Meghna sustained burn injuries to her leg. The post-mortem of the 10 deceased newborns began the following morning. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who arrived in Jhansi, assured the public that the government would conduct a thorough investigation.
Multiple inquiries will be held at three levels—by the health department, police, and district administration, in addition to a magisterial probe. He pledged that strict action would be taken against those found responsible for the tragedy.
The fire broke out around 10:20 pm on Friday, prompting emergency measures to rescue the newborns from the NICU, including breaking window panes. While 39 babies were successfully rescued, tragically, 10 others, who were in the more critical section of the NICU, did not survive. The surviving newborns have been transferred to other wards within the medical college, the district hospital, and private facilities, with their conditions now reported as stable.
The district administration is currently reviewing CCTV footage from the ward to investigate the incident. A senior official from the Jhansi administration noted, “We have observed that hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, made every effort to save the patients and control the fire.” On Saturday, the NICU was sealed off, and police personnel were stationed outside for security.
In response to the tragedy, the government has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the families of the injured.