Rajasthan: Two premature infants die in Govt hospital due to radiant warmers overheating

Jaipur: Two newborns who were kept at the sick newborn care unit (SNCU) at a government-run hospital in Ajmer district in Rajasthan died after the radiant warmers got overheated due to a power cut induced voltage fluctuation.  

The radiant warmers are meant to keep the newborns warm. As per a media report in the Indian Express, the incident took place at the government-run Amrit Kaur Hospital in Beawar, said the officials. 

Also Read:Rajasthan infant deaths: 6 medical personnel of Alwar hospital suspended, toll rises to 100

Dr. K L Meena, director, Family Welfare said, "Premature babies are kept inside radiant warmers to maintain their body temperature. A power cut had taken place and owing to that, there was a fluctuation in the voltage and as a result, the motherboard got burnt. While the appropriate voltage for the warmer is 230 volts, due to the power fluctuation, the voltage shot up to 332 volts. It led to the overheating of the warmers, leading to the death of the infants."

According to officials, the on-duty nurses were not there when the overheating due to voltage fluctuation took place. Dr. Meena added, "It was the duty of the nursing staff to maintain the voltage. But at the time, the nursing staff had stepped out of the SNCU. We have suspended the person concerned and have also put the in-charge doctor on 'awaiting posting orders."

A team reached the place as soon as the police were informed about the accident, reports India Today. The accident cause has been attributed to a technical fault since the heat in the warmer is reported to have risen on its own, which led to the death of the infants. 

The infants were reportedly given treatment, but they could not be saved. The doctors examined the other infants in the nursery as a precautionary measure, who were found to be healthy. 

A police team has also been deployed at the Mother and Child Health wing of the hospital. The bodies of the infants are kept in the mortuary of the hospital. 

Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena gave instructions after the incident on Monday night following which Dr. Meena and other health department officials visited the hospital in Beawar to investigate the incident.

Surendra Singh Chouhan, Principal Medical Officer (PMO), Beawar told the Indian Express, "One of the two infants was a girl child. While one was born on April 7, the other was born on April 14. Among the two, one was a premature baby while the other had a low birth rate. That is why they were kept inside the SNCU. They were underweight too, with one of the infants being 1.2 kg and the other being 1.4 kg."

The Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia blamed the congress-run state government over the death of the newborns. He wrote on Twitter, "Will people attain longevity only through the announcement of the Chiranjeevi Yojana or will there be some arrangement for it?"