Doctors and Nurses Rescue 36 Infants from Hospital Fire in Amravati A fire erupted at the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of District Women’s Hospital, commonly referred to as Dufferin Hospital, in Amravati on Monday morning, prompting on-duty medical staff to evacuate 36 infants from the burning ward. The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m., with three infants succumbing to suffocation during the chaos. Hospital authorities confirmed that the SNCU, which operates in three distinct wings, was the epicenter of the disaster. Nine infants were present in the wing where the fire originated, while 30 others were receiving treatment in the remaining two wings. According to hospital officials, nurse Lalita Kasdekar was the first to detect the fire and immediately triggered an emergency response. She coordinated with fellow nurses Madhuri Dhumale, Akash Chavan, Jayashri Dhurve, and Rita Dale to safely extract the infants from the affected wing. Dr. Preeti Ingle, the hospital’s in-charge, recounted the harrowing sequence of events, stating that as the flames spread, infants positioned near the ventilator on either side perished due to smoke inhalation. The situation grew perilous for the medical team as well. Dr. Hisham Inamdar, one of the on-duty physicians, reportedly became unconscious from smoke exposure while attempting to rescue additional infants during a second entry into the ward. Dr. Minal Awaghad, another doctor present, assisted in the rescue efforts, ensuring the remaining infants were relocated to safety. The hospital administration emphasized the swift actions of the staff, which prevented a greater loss of life despite the severity of the fire. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the blaze, though no official details have been released.#amravati #district_womens_hospital #dufferin_hospital #lalita_kasdekar #madhuri_dhumale
