In a pressing call for accountability, Supreme Court advocate Amit Dwivedi has petitioned Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for a swift and comprehensive inquiry into a harrowing incident at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, where a fire claimed the lives of 17 infants.
The tragedy unfolded in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the night of November 15, sparking a national outcry over the safety measures in place at government-run healthcare facilities. Dwivedi, originating from the Bundelkhand region where the incident occurred, has proposed the formation of a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the devastating event.
Reports suggest a grave scenario of neglect, highlighting the lack of operational fire extinguishers during the incident. The advocate’s letter not only seeks answers for the immediate causes of the fire, which preliminary findings suggest might be linked to an electrical fault, but also aims to tackle broader systemic failures within the region’s healthcare services.
Dwivedi criticized some government-employed doctors for reportedly prioritizing their private practices over their hospital duties, thereby compromising patient care. His request extends beyond the investigation of the fire, urging the chief justice to scrutinize the broader impacts of such dual practices by government doctors on public health services.
The advocate also suggested implementing stricter regulations and penalties to prevent the neglect of public healthcare duties in favor of private practice, which he described as a “betrayal of public trust.”
