In the early hours of May 26, 2024, a devastating fire broke out in a children’s hospital called New Born Baby Care Hospital in Vivek Vihar, East Delhi. According to news reports, at least seven new born babies lost their lives in this tragedy. The Communist Ghadar Party of India extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
According to officials of the Fire Department, a blast in an oxygen cylinder was the cause of the fire, which rapidly engulfed the premises of the hospital. People in the neighbourhood had to flee their homes, fearing that their homes too would catch fire.
People living in the neighbourhood have alleged that the real business of this hospital is trading in Oxygen. This was being carried out on the ground floor of the hospital premises, while the babies were on the first floor. Every night, ever since the hospital started functioning about three years ago, trucks were being lined up outside the hospital. Big cylinders of oxygen were being unloaded. The oxygen from the big cylinders were being used to refill empty small cylinders, which were then transported away. People had questioned how such a small hospital needed so much oxygen. They had complained to the authorities several times about this business, but no action had been taken till now.
The Delhi government is squarely responsible for this terrible tragedy which has claimed the lives of new born babies. The fire in the hospital is but the latest of such incidents in the capital, in which people have lost their lives. The government refuses to enforce safety measures which are mandatory for functioning of hospitals, factories, coaching institutes, cinema theatres, etc. It does so, in order to enable the capitalist owners of these enterprises to make maximum profits. As a result, hospitals, which are supposed to be institutions to take care of the health of people, are turned into death traps.
The Communist Ghadar Party joins the families of the victims in demanding the strictest punishment for those responsible for this tragedy.