Newborn Dies After Sustaining Burns In Warmer Machine

Pune: A newborn baby girl, who sustained burns inside a 'warmer' machine at a hospital here, died in the early hours of Thursday.

Police, who had registered a case of negligence against a doctor and the hospital staff, have sent the machine - which overheated, leading to the unfortunate incident - to a forensic laboratory for further probe. On Tuesday, police had registered a case against Dr Gaurav Chopade, a gynaecologist, and the staff of Vatsalya Hospital here after the baby girl sustained 80 per cent burn injuries while kept in warmer. "The girl, who was critical, succumbed in the wee hours today," said senior inspector Appasaheb Shewale of Vishrambaug police station.

While initial investigation revealed that a short circuit caused the warmer to overheat, it has been sent to a forensic laboratory to ascertain the exact cause for malfunctioning, he said. Complainant Vijendra Kadam's wife was admitted to Vatsalya Hospital here on Monday. She delivered a baby girl on Tuesday morning through cesarean procedure.

As the girl was having difficulty in breathing, she was kept in a warmer - which ensures adequate temperature - with an oxygen mask, police said. Family members said that later on Tuesday, when they were coming out of the room where the baby was kept, they heard explosion-like sound and saw smoke coming out of the warmer. They raised alarm, and the hospital staff rushed and removed the baby from the warmer. The baby, however, had already suffered burns.

She was shifted to another hospital where she died. "A case was registered against the gynaecologist and the staff," police said.