At least 12 new born babies had a close shave on Wednesday evening when a fire broke out at an incentive care unit (ICU) of Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH)’s Paediatric ward in Dibrugarh.
Hospital authorities said the incident took place at around 6:30 PM when a ventilator unit caught fire due to a short circuit.
AMCH Superintendent Prasanta Dihingia said the monitor of a ventilator in the paediatric ward caught fire which was immediately doused by the staff with the help of a fire extinguisher kept in the room.
“There were 12 children in the ward, aged between six months and 10 years. No one was injured,” Dihingia added.
Dr Sanjeev Kakati, principal-cum-chief superintendent of AMCH said the baby in the particular unit and all other babies of the ICU are safe.
As a precautionary measure, the hospital shifted all the patients to another pediatric ward on the campus after the incident, Dihingia said.
He said the affected ward had six ventilators and two of them were received under the PM-CARES fund. One of the PM-CARES ventilators had caught fire.
About the cause of the blaze, he said it is not immediately known if the ventilator had any issue or there was a problem with the electricity connection in the ward.
Personnel from the fire and power departments have reached and are conducting a probe into the incident.
Dihingia said the AMCH has already initiated an internal inquiry.
“We have also requested the Assam government to do an investigation independently. These will bring out the truth,” he told reporters.