Three newborns sustained burn injuries after a warmer caught fire inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Chhindwara District Hospital at about 1.50 am on Saturday, hospital officials said. The infants were removed promptly and later referred to Jabalpur Medical College for specialised treatment.
According to the hospital administration, there were 33 newborns in the NICU at the time of the incident. While three infants were inside the warmer and sustained injuries, the remaining 30 babies were evacuated safely by staff.
Immediate response and transfers
Hospital staff extinguished the flames soon after the spark was noticed in the filament of the warmer's heating unit, officials said. The three injured infants were examined at Chhindwara by specialists, including the Dean and the Medical Superintendent of Chhindwara District Medical College, before being transferred under medical supervision to Jabalpur.
Ambulances transported the babies to Jabalpur Medical College with doctors accompanying them during the journey, the administration added. The move underlined the need for higher-level neonatal and paediatric surgical care not available at Chhindwara.
Cause, inspections and initial assessment
Hospital authorities said the blaze appeared to have been triggered by a spark in the filament of the warmer’s heating unit. Technicians were called to inspect the equipment and assess other machines in the unit after the incident.
“Administrative officials will come and conduct their own investigation; I do not see any negligence here. It appears to be an accident,”
Civil Surgeon Kanchan Dubey made this statement while describing the initial assessment and the swift action of the NICU team. She also confirmed that the injured infants were shifted to Jabalpur because a paediatric surgeon was not available at Chhindwara.
Numbers at a glance
| Detail | Count |
|---|---|
| Newborns in NICU at time of incident | 33 |
| Infants inside warmer when fire broke out | 3 |
| Infants injured | 3 |
| Infants evacuated safely | 30 |
Local impact and concerns
The incident has raised questions about equipment safety protocols and the availability of specialised paediatric services at district-level hospitals. Chhindwara families expressed anxiety after seeing staff rush to evacuate neonates; visuals circulating showed hurried activity in the unit as the team removed infants from incubators and warmers.
Officials said the NICU staff acted swiftly to limit harm, but the transfer to Jabalpur highlights an ongoing gap: the absence of in-house paediatric surgical expertise at the Chhindwara facility. Such gaps can complicate immediate care decisions for critical neonatal cases and increase reliance on higher-centre transfers.
What authorities will review
Administrative teams were expected to conduct a formal investigation into the cause of the fire and review safety checks for neonatal equipment. The hospital has already initiated technical inspections of the warmer and other machines in the unit, and officials said findings from those checks would inform any corrective action.
- Technical inspection of the warmer and NICU equipment has been ordered.
- Administrative inquiry to determine whether safety procedures were followed.
- Referral pattern under review to address the lack of paediatric surgical cover at Chhindwara.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of neonatal units to equipment malfunction and the critical importance of regular maintenance, emergency preparedness and availability of specialised care in district hospitals. Authorities have so far characterised the event as an accident pending the outcome of technical and administrative probes.
Further updates are likely once officials complete their inspections and the referred infants' clinical condition is reported by Jabalpur Medical College.
