Bhandara Fire: ‘Neonatal unit didn’t have fire safety nod’, says Vijay Wadettiwar

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh visits the Bhandara Civil Hospital, where a fire broke out, in Bhandara, early on Saturday. PIC/PTI

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered that all government hospitals be audited for fire safety after the tragic deaths of 10 infants in a fire that broke out in the neonatal unit of Bhandara Civil Hospital, which didn't have a requisite fire safety clearance.

Uddhav Thackeray

Speaking to reporters after visiting the hospital, Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar didn't spell out the exact cause for the fire, but said that the civil surgeon of Bhandara had told him that a fire safety proposal of Rs 1.51 crore was pending with the government since May 2020. He also said that the neonatal unit became operational in 2015-16 without fire safety compliance.

Meanwhile, CM Thackeray, in a statement, said that he was deeply shocked by the incident. "Strict action will be taken against the people responsible. We will take all precautions to avoid such incidents in the future by conducting a fire audit of all state-run hospitals," he said. He also announced financial aid of Rs 5 lakh each to the bereaved parents and assured the families of the injured advanced treatment.

"The unit was dedicated to the people in 2015. We will have to find out why the fire audit was not carried, and what led to the incident if the audit was conducted. The probe will decide the action to be taken," the CM said.

The incident has put the state government under scrutiny from the Opposition BJP, which is expected to get some national leaders to visit the facility and meet the affected families. Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis demanded that those responsible be charged for murder.

"All hospitals should be audited for fire safety. It is beyond comprehension why a proposal from the ill-fated hospital wasn't funded by the government since last year," he said, demanding that the parents be given Rs 10 lakh each.

Former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the hospital's faulty electrical equipment, switches and wiring weren't replaced despite repeated demand from the hospital administration and that ultimately claimed innocent lives.

The BJP's top leadership, including PM Narendra Modi, took cognisance of the incident by expressing their grief and shock. Prominent national leaders are expected to visit Bhandara to help BJP's state unit grill the government further.

Make fire audits compulsory
After the 2011 Amri Hospital fire in Kolkata that killed 89, following a short circuit in the building basement, the then Additional Chief Secretary (Health) of Maharashtra Jayant Bantia, had issued a circular directing mandatory fire safety audit of nursing homes and private hospitals. Unfortunately, the circular was used to put pressure on small nursing homes, but civic-run and government-run hospitals remained untouched. "If such fire audits are not carried out in district and primary health care centres, incidents like these will continue. Stringent fire audits should be carried out across all hospitals, under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures (Amendment) Act 2015," said MV Deshmukh, former Director, Maharashtra State Fire Services and adviser to state government.

Inputs by Vinod Kumar Menon