Short circuit at Jabalpur Medical college creates chaos:Smoke in HNCU ward, relatives and doctors clash as uproar erupts over infant death

A short circuit triggered panic at the Government Medical College in Jabalpur, on Thursday night, after smoke began billowing near the High Neonatal Care Unit (HNCU) ward around 8:30 pm. As the smoke spread, chaos erupted in the ward, with anxious family members rushing to evacuate their infants. Crowd gathers, police step in Eyewitnesses said that as news of the smoke spread, a large number of people rushed toward the ward, creating a tense situation. Police from Garha police station arrived promptly at the scene and managed to calm the crowd and bring the situation under control. Newborn’s death fuels anger Amid the chaos, reports of a newborn’s death surfaced, further intensifying anger among family members. However, hospital authorities clarified that the infant had died before the incident and that the death was not linked to the short circuit. Families allege absence of staff Some relatives alleged that no doctor or ward boy was present at the time of the incident, which worsened the panic. They claimed that due to the lack of immediate assistance, families were forced to rush out with their children on their own. Hospital denies risk, says all babies safe Medical College Superintendent Dr. Arvind Sharma stated that preliminary findings indicate a spark caused by a short circuit led to smoke outside the ward. He stressed that all babies admitted inside the ward were completely safe and unaffected. Short circuit in fan identified as cause According to Garha police station in-charge Prasanna Sharma, the smoke originated from a short circuit in a fan installed outside the ward. On-duty staff acted swiftly to control the situation before it escalated further. Probe underway Police and hospital authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. A review of safety arrangements and the exact cause of the short circuit is currently underway.