Jhansi Medical College Fire: Supreme Court Advocate Calls for Time-Bound Probe

Jhansi: Days after the devastating blaze in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, which claimed the lives of 17 infants, Supreme Court advocate Amit Dwivedi has written to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, calling for a time-bound inquiry into the incident.

According to a PTI report, in the letter to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Sunday, Dwivedi -- who hails from the Bundelkhand region -- sought the constitution of a panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge "to conduct a time-bound inquiry into the fire incident in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) of the government-run hospital which resulted in the deaths of 15 infants".

Thirty-nine newborns were rescued from a devastating fire in the neonatal intensive care unit of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi on the night of November 15.

While 10 babies died on the night of the fire, seven more succumbed later.

Also Read:Jhansi Medical College fire: 10 children confimed dead, 16 battle for life

The letter highlighted reports of severe negligence, including the alleged absence of functioning fire extinguishers in the ward.

Dwivedi emphasised that accountability must be established and justice delivered to the grieving families. "The fire in the NICU is not an isolated incident but a continuation of the systemic failures that plague government healthcare in Bundelkhand."

He also accused some government doctors of prioritising private practice over public service, exacerbating the healthcare crisis, news agency PTI reported.

He urged the chief justice of India to expand the inquiry's mandate to address larger systemic issues, including the impact of private practice by government doctors.

The advocate also proposed stringent guidelines and penalties to curb such practices, which he described as a betrayal of public trust.

Official sources said the fire broke out around 10:45 pm, possibly due to a short circuit.

Also Read:Jhansi Hospital Fire: One more rescued infant dies, toll rises to 12