Dr. Akash, a 26-year-old Ayurvedic physician who was working at Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar on May 25 when the fire killed seven newborns, was denied bail by a Delhi court on Monday. The court questioned why an Ayurvedic doctor, only authorized to practice in Haryana, was working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and denied his bail request.
According to Advocate Satyam Singh, representing Dr. Akash at Karkardooma Court, the doctor recently completed his Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) from a college in Haryana and received his practice license in 2023. Despite this, he was found treating and prescribing medications to infants in the hospital's NICU.
Dr. Akash was scolded by the court for his disagreement that the infants' deaths were due to asphyxia rather than fire. It was mentioned that Dr. Akash voluntarily decided to work in the NICU despite his qualifications and restrictions on his practice. According to the court judgment, he was not given a reasonable explanation for his desire to work in a critical hospital unit and study allopathic procedures.
Following his arrest on May 26, Dr. Akash was taken into custody by the authorities. The court noted that the police investigations showed that Dr. Akash lost a lot of time when the fire broke out by making a call to the hospital owner rather than 911, which may have prevented the deaths of the infants. Dr. Akash defended himself by saying he wasn't a member of the supervisory team and was only a trainee looking for experience in allopathic medicine. However, he was actively involved in treating and prescribing for infants, according to nurses and staff.
The court determined that Dr. Akash's potential to manipulate evidence and escape was a valid reason to deny his bail. The physician, who lives in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, planned to work at the hospital to obtain experience before opening a clinic in his village.
Police discovered serious violations at the facility throughout the inquiry, including unqualified workers, a license that had expired in March, and a shortage of fire extinguishers. An FIR was filed for negligence and liable homicide under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, and the hospital owner, Dr. Naveen Khichi, and Dr. Akash were detained.
Anzar Chaudhary, whose daughter Fatima was 12 days old, and Rajkumar, whose daughter Rohi was 17 days old, were among the devastated parents who asked that the hospital's owners and staff face severe consequences. They revealed that they were only made aware of the situation afterwards and criticized the hospital for its lack of emergency availability.
Former BJP MLA Jitender Singh Shunty and eyewitness Ravi Varma drew attention to the medical staff's negligence in saving the babies as well as the lack of emergency exits. Some of the babies had to be rescued by breaking windows and using ladders, but seven were pronounced dead when they arrived at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.
According to reports, the hospital was filling oxygen cylinders illegally, which may have led to the incident. Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Delhi Health Minister, announced a probe into these claims. In addition, he monitored an immediate investigation and provided compensation to the impacted families.
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena of Delhi suspended Dr. RN Das, the Officer on Special Duty to Bharadwaj, on May 29. The suspension took effect immediately. It's yet unclear how this punishment relates to the hospital fire.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)