Eleven newborn babies who died in a blaze in the neonatal section of a regional hospital in the western city of Tivaouan, Senegal, were buried on Sunday, the local mayor said.
Reports suggest the fire was caused by a short circuit. But Tivaouane mayor Demba Diop Sy said the neonatal unit, which only opened late last year and co-financed by a private company, was equipped with safety equipment and that staff had undergone fire alarm training.
For many Senegalese, that is not enough, and they fear more tragedies in the future.
The late Wednesday tragedy which sparked fresh anger over the state of the health system has exposed the weaknesses of the nation’s health care system.
Last year, a similar incident occurred in the northern town of Linguère. Four newborn babies were killed there after a fire broke out at a hospital’s maternity ward. Also, a heavily pregnant woman died after her appeals for a caesarean at a public hospital in the northwestern town of Louga were denied last month.
President Macky Sall on Thursday fired Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr. He also ordered an audit of Senegal’s neonatal services and acknowledged the “obsolescence” of the national health system.
