Newborn suffers 100% burns after NICU warmer catches fire at Dhaka hospital

A newborn has suffered burns covering 100% of the body after a warmer caught fire at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Royal Care and Surgical Hospital in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area, with doctors reportedly telling the father that the infant has no chance of survival.

The baby is currently receiving treatment at the NICU of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The incident occurred around 6am yesterday (7 November), barely two hours after the baby’s birth, his father, Mohammad Rabbani, told The Business Standard.

Speaking to TBS around 11pm, Rabbani said doctors at the DMCH NICU had informed him that his baby’s entire body had been burned and that there was no chance of survival.

“I want justice for what happened,” he said.

Rabbani said his son was born around 4am yesterday. As the newborn required intensive care but no NICU bed was available at DMCH, he took the baby to Royal Care Hospital on someone’s recommendation.

He said the incident occurred within two to three minutes of their arrival at the hospital.

According to Rabbani, the newborn was taken to the second floor for an examination. While he was returning downstairs and the admission formalities were being completed, the warmer caught fire, leaving his son severely burned.

The baby was initially taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was subsequently transferred to DMCH.

Rabbani said they were later sent back to Royal Care Hospital, after which the hospital authorities helped arrange the baby’s admission to the DMCH NICU.

Blaming the hospital for negligence, Rabbani said, “They took my little baby to the hospital and burned him like this. We want justice.”

Hospital cites short circuit

Royal Care and Surgical Hospital Managing Director Aparna Halder, however, attributed the fire to a short circuit.

She told TBS that two babies were in the NICU at the time, and the fire broke out in the warmer being used for one of them.

“The baby had not yet been admitted. After being placed on the bed, this happened within a second while we were talking. The doctors and nurses realised what was happening and took immediate action. We transferred the baby to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and are providing all possible assistance,” she said.

Asked about the cause of the incident, Halder reiterated that it had been triggered by a short circuit. She said doctors, nurses, attendants, ward boys and other necessary staff were present at the hospital at the time.

Regarding the newborn’s condition, she said the baby was delivered at 28 weeks of pregnancy and was extremely premature, making survival uncertain.

“An accident has happened. Even so, we will provide 100% support for the baby’s treatment. We will provide medicines and whatever else is needed,” she said.

The family alleged that hospital authorities had stopped communicating with them following the incident.

Halder rejected the allegation, saying the hospital had helped secure the baby’s admission to the DMCH NICU after the incident.

She assured the family that the hospital would continue providing all necessary assistance for the newborn’s treatment, including support for the mother if required.