Vivek Vihar Fire: NCPCR requests Delhi CS and police commissioner to take action against authorities responsible

New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has requested the Chief Secretary of Delhi Naresh Kumar and Commissioner of Police Sanjay Arora to take appropriate action against authorities responsible for the fire incident at a hospital in Vivek Vihar where seven newborns died.

In its letter, the NCPCR said that a team from the commission visited the incident site on May 26 and found major negligence of protocols.

“The Commission during its visit to the incident has observed that in the said nursing home there was no emergency exit. Having no emergency exit in a medical health care facility is a serious violation of the National Building Code of India, 2016. It was also observed that no fire extinguishers or emergency fire alarms were working and even no automatic water sprinkle systems were functional, this is a violation of the National Building Code of India, 2016 (Fire and Life Safety) and the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority,” it said.

“The team was informed that at the time of the fire incident, locals of the area reported the incident rather than the hospital staff. It seems that the staff of the nursing home was not trained in handling such emergencies. Prime-facie, it seems that the incidence occurred due to the negligence of the concerned authorities,” the NCPCR added.

Further, the commission pointed out that the major issue faced by the families involved in the incident was identification and claim over one surviving child.

“The team from NCPCR met the families of deceased infants and the families of surviving infants also. It was observed that one of the major issues faced by few families of the surviving and deceased infants is the issue of identification and their claim over one surviving child,” the letter said.

The NCPCR also mentioned about its letter of 2021 regarding recommendations for a fire safety audit of all the hospitals and Medical colleges having NICU/PICUs and SNCUs and other medical facilities for children to prevent fire incidences in hospitals.

“The Commission has not received any response and has taken a serious view of non-compliance of Commission’s recommendations by the government of NCT of Delhi. Considering the utmost sensitivity and urgency of the matter, you are requested to take appropriate action as per law/procedure against the responsible authorities that is – the Department of Health Services, NCT of Delhi, Department of Fire Services, Municipal Authorities, concerned District Administration and State Medical Council,” the NCPCR said.

“You are also requested to send an Action Taken report of the matter along with authenticated documents. The report may kindly be sent to the Commission within 5 working days by mail and by post,” it added.