Adilabad: Four doctors were among the first responders who helped rescue around 25 newborns from a fire that broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, Telangana. The blaze killed three infants and left several others requiring medical attention.
Doctors rushed into smoke-filled newborn unit
The fire broke out late Monday night, with preliminary findings pointing to a possible electrical short circuit in an air-conditioning unit. Thick smoke quickly filled the neonatal ward, where critically ill and premature babies were being treated.
Before fire tenders could reach the hospital, the duty doctors, nurses, attendants and other staff began evacuating the newborns. They moved the babies from the smoke-filled unit while working in difficult and dangerous conditions.
The four doctors played a key role in the rescue operation, helping ensure that most of the newborns were moved to safety before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
Staff and attendants joined rescue effort
Hospital workers and attendants also helped evacuate the infants. With visibility severely reduced by smoke, some rescuers reportedly had to break glass panes to gain access and bring the babies out.
Officials said the rescued newborns were subsequently shifted to RIMS and nearby private hospitals for treatment. Several babies required monitoring and oxygen support following smoke exposure.
The incident has prompted a wider review of fire and electrical safety at the hospital. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered an inquiry, while Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha directed comprehensive electrical, fire-safety and structural audits.
The rescue effort by the doctors, nurses, attendants and other hospital workers helped prevent an even greater tragedy as they worked to protect some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients.