Amravati: A seven-member committee headed by public health services commissioner Sanjay Katkar will probe the fire at District Women’s Hospital (Dufferin Hospital) in Amravati and submit its report within eight days. Govt will take stringent action against all those found guilty, Maharashtra health minister Prakash Abitkar announced here on Monday.Abitkar was addressing a news conference after visiting the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) where a fire broke out in the early hours of Monday, killing three newborns due to suffocation.Terming the incident “unfortunate”, Abitkar said the expert committee will examine all aspects of the tragedy and pinpoint the exact fault. “The committee will also look into irregularities, which prima facie appear to be of a serious nature, and suggest necessary steps to ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he said.The committee’s report will be made public and responsibility will be fixed on the basis of its findings, the minister said. “We had started a very good hospital here to serve patients. Unfortunately, today’s incident has forced us to take stock of shortcomings and act,” he said.A meeting has been convened at Mantralaya on Tuesday to discuss fire safety measures in govt hospitals, with a detailed review of fire audits.The minister met the families of the victims and consoled them. He announced financial assistance of Rs5 lakh each to the bereaved families and said the state govt will bear the entire treatment cost of the 36 newborns rescued and shifted to other hospitals.The Nagpur-based company, which supplied the ventilator that allegedly exploded and triggered the fire, will be blacklisted if the charge is established, the minister said.Later, Abitkar visited Hope Hospital, Murke Hospital, Parijat Hospital and PDMC Hospital and enquired about the condition of the newborns shifted there.
