Telangana: Death toll rises to five in Adilabad RIMS fire

Three infants, including a five-day-old, a four-day-old and another female infant had died a few hours after the incident.

Hyderabad: The death toll in the Adilabad Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) fire has risen to five, with the death of two more infants on Tuesday night, September 22.

The two infants were premature babies born between 26 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, Adilabad District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Sadhana told The Hindu.

Three infants, including a five-day-old, a four-day-old and another female infant, had died a few hours after the incident.

Fire at Adilabad RIMS

A fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) inside the facility late Monday night, September 21.

As many as 27 newborns were undergoing treatment in the unit. The children were promptly rescued and shifted to nearby private hospitals.

According to reports, an AC unit in the newborn care ward exploded following a suspected short circuit, filling the ward with thick smoke.

The incident occurred around midnight, prompting hospital staff to immediately switch off the power supply and move the infants to an adjacent ward. Fire department personnel also reached the spot and carried out rescue operations.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep grief over the deaths and directed the authorities to conduct an inquiry into the incident. 

Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha, who visited RIMS and inspected the fire incident site, expressed grief over the deaths and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.

The minister inquired with District Collector Rajarshi Shah, RIMS officials, and doctors about the rescue operations undertaken, the current medical condition of the infants and the treatment being provided to them.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that an electrical short circuit caused a fire in the AC unit, and the burning of plastic components associated with the AC led to the spread of thick smoke.

However, full clarity regarding the exact cause of the accident, whether there were lapses in the implementation of safety standards or negligence in maintenance, will emerge only after a comprehensive inquiry is completed, he said.

The minister announced a committee of experts will be constituted to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the fire accident.

He also ordered an electrical safety audit, a fire safety audit and a civil structural safety audit.

“Based on the expert committee’s report and the safety audits, we will formulate comprehensive proposals for the government covering necessary repairs, additional infrastructure, renovation works, construction of new buildings, and the recruitment of additional staff,” he said.

Raja Narasimha said it was decided to establish a 150-bed Mother and Child Health (MCH) building to further strengthen maternal and child care services at RIMS. This initiative will provide additional facilities to deliver enhanced medical care for newborns, alongside improved maternity services and maternal care.

RIMS currently has approximately 800 beds. By adding the 150-bed MCH building, we are taking steps to upgrade RIMS into a super-speciality hospital with a capacity of around 950 beds, he said.

(With inputs from IANS.)