Five babies being treated for a skin condition died in the fire that broke out in a public hospital in the state of Punjab in northern India. The manager of the hospital Rajendra, Surinder Singh, told CNN that all the babies were less than a week old. The fire was declared on Saturday at 4 am local time, and was apparently caused by a short circuit in the tubes of the machine.
All the babies were in the phototherapy unit of the hospital, where they were being treated for jaundice, a disease manifested by the yellowing of the skin. Jaundice is a common and harmless condition in newborn infants. It appears during the first week of the baby’s life. It is also temporary. Phototherapy is the most effective treatment to combat the condition. The machines in the maternity ward that were treating the babies with a special light short-circuited. Three more babies were injured while five were rescued from the fire.
The authorities of the state of Punjab announced that the hospital has opened an investigation to clarify what happened. Manmohan Singh, prime minister of India, has expressed in a statement his sadness over the death of the children and announced that the families of infants who died will receive a compensation of 2,000 dollars (1,500 euros) each.
Via Daily Express
