Hyderabad, Sept. 23 (Maxim News) : Telangana Rakshana Sena chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha has blamed alleged government negligence for the deaths of five infants in the fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of RIMS Adilabad.
Kavitha visited the parents of infants injured in the incident at Suraksha Children’s Hospital in Adilabad on Wednesday. She also inspected the damaged SNCU ward at RIMS.
The death toll in the incident rose to five on Wednesday after two more infants died while undergoing treatment. Earlier, three premature babies died after inhaling toxic smoke and gases following the fire in the SNCU.
Speaking to reporters, Kavitha alleged that poor maintenance and inadequate infrastructure at RIMS contributed to the tragedy. She questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over his absence from the hospital and demanded that he visit the facility.
Kavitha also alleged that the government had failed to provide adequate maintenance funds to government hospitals. She claimed that several hospitals were operating without sufficient doctors, staff and sanitation workers.
Kavitha Gives Government One-Month Deadline
Kavitha demanded the release of pending health-related bills and sought details of funds received from the Centre for roads in tribal habitations.
She gave the state government one month to address the issues. Kavitha warned that she would lead a protest involving tribal communities from the erstwhile Adilabad district if the demands were not addressed within the deadline.
She also alleged that RIMS had around 150 air-conditioning units but lacked dedicated technicians for their maintenance. She questioned how such a system could prevent equipment-related incidents.
The government, meanwhile, has ordered a detailed inquiry into the RIMS fire. Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha said an expert committee would examine the cause of the fire and any safety or maintenance lapses.
The government has also ordered separate electrical safety, fire safety and structural safety audits at RIMS. Officials said strict action would follow if the inquiry establishes negligence.
The fire reportedly broke out in the SNCU after an AC unit caught fire. Around 25 to 27 newborns were being treated in the unit, and other infants were shifted to different hospitals following the incident. Two infants remain in critical condition, according to reports. (Maxim News)
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