Tears, Pain as 11 Newborns Die in Horrific Senegal Hospital Fire, President Sall, UNICEF React

Tears, Pain as 11 Newborns Die in Horrific Senegal Hospital Fire, President Sall, UNICEF React

  • Eleven newborns have been killed in a fire that engulfed the maternity unit of the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh hospital in Senegal
  • Only three babies were said to have been rescued from the incident which authorities said was caused by a short circuit
  • The minister of health for Senegal Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr has since been sacked following the horrific incident

The death of eleven newborn babies in a horrific hospital fire in Tivaouane, Senegal has generated reactions across the world.

BBC reports that the newborns died in a fire at the neonatal unit of the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh hospital in the western city of Tivaouane.

Senegal hospital fire, Macky Sall, UNICEF, 11 newborn babies
President Sall has commiserated with families and mothers of newborns killed in a Senegal hospital fire. Photo: Macky Sall
Source: Twitter

According to the city's major, Demba Diop Sy, the fire was caused by a short circuit and only three babies were rescued from the scene of the incident.

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While the minister of health for Senegal Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr has been sacked, the tragedy has sparked outrage in various media across the world.

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Reacting to the incident, Senegal's president, Macky Sall declared three days of national mourning in the country.

Sall commiserating with families of the babies expressed his deepest sympathy in a tweet posted on his official Twitter handle.

He said:

"I have just learned with pain and consternation of the death of 11 newborn babies in the fire that occurred in the neonatology department of the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh hospital in Tivaouane.
"To their mothers and their families, I express my deepest sympathy."

Senegal's president, UNICEF react

Also reacting, UNICEF's representative in Senegal, Silvia Danailov, said the international agency is deeply saddened by the death of the newborn babies following a terrible fire at the neonatal unit of the hospital of Tivaouane.

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Danailov added:

“We express our deepest sympathy to the families and communities affected by this tragedy, especially those who have lost their children. No parent should experience the heartbreak of watching their child die.
"UNICEF stands alongside the authorities and partners on the ground to provide support, the necessary assistance to these families and prevent further tragedies."

HIV in infants: Health workers advised to incorporate testing into every care plan

Health workers had been advised to remain vigilant in their effort to detect HIV infection in children.

The advice was given to health workers by Dr Atana Ewa, a chief consultant and associate professor at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

Ewa said health workers across Nigeria should endeavour to incorporate HIV/AIDS testing into all care plans.

490 babies tested positive for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in the year 2020

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that 490 babies tested positive for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in the year 2020.

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This was contained in a report released by the National AIDS and STIs Control Program, an initiative of the federal ministry of health, Nigeria.

According to the report, over 3,000 babies born in Nigeria tested positive for the disease between 2017 and 2020.

Source: Legit.ng

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