SAHIWAL: With the death of two more newborns on Sunday night, the toll of the fire erupting in paediatric ward of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital went up to seven.

As per the hospital sources, the two newborns who died on Sunday night were among the babies who were shifted from the ward on the 3rd floor of the building when the fire erupted there because of a power short circuit in the air-conditioning system on Saturday.

Earlier, five babies had reportedly died in the incident.

Although the third handout issued by the hospital administration denies that the deaths have been caused by smoke, lack of proper oxygen supply and resulting suffocation, the parents of the deceased babies did not buy the stance. They also blamed the failure of emergency services in safely transporting the babies.

The newborns who expired were identified as Areeba of 91/6-R village, Abbas of Garh Fateh Sher, Javed of Noor Shah, Muhammad Ali of Bonga Hayat, Sadia of Madni Town (Okara), Asim of Kamliya City and Suriya of 63/5-L village, Sahiwal.

The hospital handout claimed the causes of death of two babies was Aspiration Pneumonia & Sepsis due to Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF) and Asphyxia/Septic Shock/Pulmonary Hemorrhage leading to multiple organ failure.

Prof Dr Farah Naz, Head of Paediatric Ward, told Dawn the nursery has become functional again and children shifted to other wards on Saturday morning have been shifted back to paediatric ward.

Sources, however, say the third floor where the fire broke out is still in a shambles and it will take two to three more days to make it functional again.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2024