Jail for doctor, two others

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 18

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Aggarwal today awarded two-year imprisonment to Dr KK Locham, head of the Paediatrics Department at Government Rajindra Hospital, nurse Reeta and Class IV employee Satya in connection with the death of six infants at the hospital in 2009. A fine of Rs 5,000 each was also imposed on the accused.

Six infants were charred to death in incubators while four others were critically injured when a fire broke out due to an electric short-circuit at the photo-therapy unit of Rajindra Hospital in January 2009.

Ten newborns lay unattended in the incubators when the fire broke out. Within hours, the incubators and the photo-therapy unit were reduced to ashes. Attendants of some patients somehow managed to save four children.

Dr Locham was accused of overlooking the facts that the infants had been kept in “poor-quality” incubators and room heaters were being used instead of the central heating system.

Later, the Patiala court charged Dr Locham, Reeta and Satya under Section 304-A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.