RIMS Adilabad Hospital fire: 4 doctors help rescue 25 newborns

Adilabad: Four doctors helped rescue around 25 newborns after a fire broke out inside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, on Monday night. Three infants died in the incident, following which the Telangana government ordered an inquiry. 

The fire broke out late Monday night while several premature and critically ill babies were undergoing treatment in the neonatal unit. As smoke quickly filled the ward, the doctors on duty, along with nurses, attendants and other staff, began evacuating the babies before fire tenders reached the hospital. 

The newborns were carried out of the affected unit and moved to safer areas. The rescue operation was carried out in difficult conditions as the heavy smoke reduced visibility inside the ward.  

One of the doctors reportedly fainted during the rescue operation and had to be helped out by colleagues. The other doctors and hospital staff continued evacuating the remaining babies. 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that an electrical short circuit in a window air-conditioning unit is suspected to have triggered a fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of RIMS, Adilabad, late Monday night, resulting in the deaths of three premature infants and critically injuring two others.  

Officials said some rescuers had to break glass panes to gain access to parts of the unit and reach the newborns. The babies who were brought out safely were later shifted to RIMS and nearby private hospitals for further treatment. Several required oxygen support and monitoring after exposure to the smoke.

The incident has prompted a wider review of fire and electrical safety arrangements at the hospital. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered an inquiry into the fire, while the Health Department directed comprehensive audits of the hospital’s electrical systems, fire-safety measures and structural preparedness, reports News Karnataka.  

The inquiry will examine the circumstances in which the fire started and whether any safety deficiencies contributed to the incident.

The quick response by the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff enabled the evacuation of most of the newborns from the smoke-filled unit before the fire was brought under control.