Supreme Court advocate Amit Dwivedi on Monday has called for a time-bound judicial inquiry into the tragic fire in the neonatal intensive care unit of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, UP, which claimed the lives of 17 infants.
In a letter to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Sunday, Dwivedi urged the constitution of a panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the incident and recommend reforms.
The devastating blaze broke out on the night of November 15, reportedly due to a short circuit around 10:45 pm. While 10 newborns died that night, seven more succumbed to injuries later, despite rescue efforts that saved 39 infants.
Dwivedi, a native of Bundelkhand, emphasized that the tragedy underscores systemic issues in government healthcare in the region. He pointed to reports of negligence, including the alleged absence of functional fire extinguishers in the NICU, and called for accountability.
“The fire in the NICU is not an isolated incident but a continuation of the systemic failures that plague government healthcare in Bundelkhand,” Dwivedi stated. He urged swift action to ensure justice for the grieving families and prevent such incidents in the future.
The advocate also highlighted the broader challenges in the public healthcare system, accusing some government doctors of prioritizing private practice over public service. Dwivedi proposed that the inquiry’s scope be expanded to address this issue, calling it a betrayal of public trust.
He suggested introducing strict guidelines and penalties to curb private practice by government-employed doctors.
The letter reflects growing public outrage over the incident, which has exposed lapses in safety protocols and healthcare management. Dwivedi’s call for judicial intervention aims to not only investigate the immediate causes of the fire but also address the underlying issues in the healthcare infrastructure of the region.
As the nation mourns the loss of 17 infants, the focus now shifts to ensuring accountability, delivering justice to the affected families, and implementing reforms to prevent future tragedies.
