Three newborns die as ACs explode at SNCU in Adilabad

In what could be termed the first major tragedy in a government-run hospital in recent history, three newborns died, while two others were hospitalised and 19 infants were rescued after inhaling toxic gases emanated from air-conditioning machine explosions, believed to have been caused by an electric short-circuit at a special newborn care unit in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS)-Adilabad late on Monday night.

District Medical and Health Officer Dr P Sadhana confirmed that the five-day-old baby of Sabha Khan from Ichoda, 15-day-old baby of Sheku Bai



from Indervelli and 20-day-old baby of Sabha Samreen of Utnoor died after inhaling toxic fumes released due to AC machine explosions that allegedly occurred due to overuse and poor maintenance by 12 am.

While Sabha’s baby died on the spot at 12.30 am, Sheku’s baby breathed her last during treatment at 4.30 am and another baby succumbed when she was being taken to a hospital in Nizamabad after her condition deteriorated at 6.15 am. All of them were preterm baby girls and weighed less than 1.5 kgs. The medical condition of the two more infants was said to be critical.