The burning question of child safety in Amravati’s government maternity hospital
A fire in the NICU of a government maternity hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, resulted in the deaths of three newborns. Investigations suggest a ventilator malfunction caused the blaze, sparking public outcry and visits from various political leaders.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical safety and infrastructure failures in public healthcare facilities, raising urgent questions about child safety and government accountability.
On the rainy morning of August 26, the front courtyard of District Women Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati district was crowded with politicians, reporters and bystanders. Amid them stood 30-year-old Swapnil Borde. His bottle-green shirt hung limp with sweat, while his red-rimmed eyes brimmed with tears.
He is the father of one of the three newborns who died after a fire broke out in the four-storey Special Newborn Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the third floor of the maternity hospital around 3.15 a.m. on August 24. Thirty-six babies were rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals, according to Amravati District Collector Ashish Yerekar. Two sustained burn injuries, says Amol Narote, medical superintendent of the government-run super-speciality hospital. Preliminary investigations indicate that a ventilator sparked the fire.
Swapnil’s newborn was of low weight and had breathing issues, so was put on a ventilator two days before the fire.
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