Amravati Hospital Fire Exposes Lapsed Safety Audits After Deaths Of 3 Newborns A fire at Amravati District Women’s Hospital resulted in the deaths of three newborns, sparking investigations into longstanding safety lapses at the facility. Officials revealed that the hospital’s fire audit had expired just days before the incident, while its electrical audit was overdue and awaiting renewal. Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) fire superintendent Ajay Pandhre stated that the civic body had repeatedly alerted the hospital administration about the expiring fire audit, sending notices via WhatsApp on August 16–20. Despite these warnings, the hospital failed to renew the audit, leaving critical safety measures in disrepair. The fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on Monday, killing three infants and leaving others critically injured. Pandhre emphasized that the fire likely stemmed from a short-circuit rather than a ventilator blast, as initially reported. He highlighted the necessity of regular electrical inspections, noting that equipment in intensive care units operates continuously and requires periodic checks. “Fire equipment is only useful during a fire, but electrical systems need proactive maintenance,” he said. The hospital’s electrical audit, which had been overdue for months, was reportedly in the renewal process when the tragedy occurred. Dr. Vinod Pawar, the hospital’s medical superintendent, acknowledged the lapse but claimed the renewal was underway. He noted that the hospital had sent two formal letters to the PWD executive engineer urging action, though the process was incomplete at the time of the fire. The incident unfolded in the SNCU wing, where eight newborns were admitted.#devendra_fadnavis #amravati_municipal_corporation #amravati_district_womens_hospital #ajay_pandhre #sncu_wing
