Nagpur: Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare on Wednesday demanded strict action over the deaths of three newborns in the fire at District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, alleging serious safety lapses.Wadettiwar demanded that responsibility be fixed within eight days and those guilty be charged with culpable homicide. He also sought Rs 25 lakh compensation for each bereaved family and Rs 5 lakh for contractual staff who helped rescue newborns.Wadettiwar alleged that permanent posts in govt hospitals remained vacant, forcing dependence on contractual staff. He also questioned the quality of ventilators supplied to the hospital and demanded replacement of around 10,000 such machines installed across the state. He alleged fire and electrical safety audits had also expired.Andhare alleged that the fire audit had not been conducted despite reminders from the Civil Surgeon. She questioned the role of PWD officials and demanded culpable homicide charges against those responsible.Andhare also targeted guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule for not visiting the hospital and alleged that govt had failed to provide Rs 9.5 crore for basic facilities while sanctioning Rs 121 crore for the Hanuman Gadhi project.She demanded that the inquiry committee include the District Civil Surgeon and PWD engineers. She warned of an agitation if action was not taken within seven days.
