Jhansi Medical College Fire: NHRC Directs UP Chief Secretary, DGP to Submit Report within a week

Jhansi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, seeking a detailed report on the fire incident at the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, which resulted in the deaths of at least 10 newborn babies.

Apart from these deaths, a total of 16 babies sustained injuries while 37 were rescued. Reportedly, the police authorities have confirmed that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit and the babies, who died, were in incubators at the time of the incident.

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The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report are indeed disturbing and indicate negligence resulting in a grave violation of human rights of the victim babies as they were in the care of a government institution.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter within one week.

The report should include the status of the FIR registered in the matter, action taken against the responsible officials, the medical treatment being provided to the injured and compensation if any, paid to the aggrieved families.

The Commission would also like to know about the steps taken/ proposed by the authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that at least 10 children died in a fire that engulfed the children's ward of a medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district, officials said, as 16 others were injured and battled for life on Saturday. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, possibly due to an electrical short circuit.

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