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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 9:59:04 pm

Fatal Negligence

Newborns dying in a fire inside a government hospital is a devastating indictment of a system that is supposed to protect its most vulnerable patients. The Amravati District Women’s Hospital tragedy, where a blaze killed three infants, joins a long list of preventable institutional failures. Thirty-nine babies were inside the three-compartment facility when the fire erupted after a ventilator in the neonatal unit caught fire. Thirty-six were eventually rescued. Parents and eyewitnesses have...

Fatal Negligence

Newborns dying in a fire inside a government hospital is a devastating indictment of a system that is supposed to protect its most vulnerable patients. The Amravati District Women’s Hospital tragedy, where a blaze killed three infants, joins a long list of preventable institutional failures. Thirty-nine babies were inside the three-compartment facility when the fire erupted after a ventilator in the neonatal unit caught fire. Thirty-six were eventually rescued. Parents and eyewitnesses have alleged that the fire alarms did not sound and the automatic sprinklers failed to activate even as the district administration has said the hospital underwent regular fire audits and had applied for this year’s audit. An audit is meaningful only if it establishes that equipment works when lives depend on it. Maharashtra has already witnessed the deadly consequences of fire-safety failures in public hospitals. In 2021, eleven Covid-19 patients died in a fire at the Ahmednagar district hospital even though a fire audit conducted months earlier had recommended a firefighting system. The Amravati tragedy demands more than the familiar ritual of a high-level inquiry, compensation and promises of “strictest action”. The announcement of ex gratia payments cannot compensate parents who have lost a child they had barely begun to know. The investigation must establish not merely what ignited the fire, but why it was allowed to become fatal. Was the ventilator properly maintained? Were electrical and medical devices routinely inspected? Did alarms function? Were sprinklers operational? Was the NICU appropriately located and equipped for evacuation? Were staff trained and drills conducted? And most importantly, who was responsible for ensuring that every safeguard worked? There is another troubling detail: the neonatal unit was reportedly housed on the third floor, rather than at ground level, and questions have arisen over whether the unit was part of the building’s original plan. The state has built an elaborate architecture of laws and child-protection standards which seldom matches the situation on ground. Whether in government hospitals, schools or anganwadis, safety has become a box to be ticked rather than a responsibility to be lived. The most vulnerable children are consequently left dependent not on systems, but on the vigilance and heroism of individual staff members. That is an appalling way to run the childcare infrastructure of one India’s most developed states. A NICU is perhaps the worst possible place for institutional complacency: its patients are immobile, medically dependent and extraordinarily vulnerable to smoke, heat and even brief disruption of life-support equipment. The government must ensure that the Amravati deaths do not become another entry in the grim ledger of hospital tragedies followed by inquiries, outrage and forgetting. The real test will be whether the state can prevent the next newborn from dying in a hospital that was supposed to save him.

Stillness Commands the Room

In a world that moves faster than thought, it has become increasingly rare to find individuals who can remain calm under pressure and grounded in the chaos. Yet, when it comes to personal branding — the human brand, not the logos or glossy visuals — this ability is often the very foundation that separates those who rise from those who merely react. Every personal brand, especially at leadership levels, is not built in moments of ease, but in moments of uncertainty.


It is in these very instances — when plans fall through, tempers rise, or outcomes disappoint — that your true personal brand reveals itself. Are you known for your clarity in foggy moments? Or does your brand vanish when things get unpredictable? Clarity is often misunderstood as having a detailed plan at all times. But true clarity is a state of mind. It’s not about knowing all the answers, it’s about knowing how to navigate even when answers are unavailable.


Some of the most respected business leaders didn’t have a full roadmap when they began. What they did have was inner clarity about their values, their intention, and how they wanted to show up — especially when things went wrong. Interestingly, there are moments when not having clarity can also work in your favor.


It opens doors to experimentation, to exploring the unknown without the pressure of perfection. It encourages humility, which in itself is a powerful personal branding trait.


However, living in a prolonged state of confusion, being unable to commit to any path, or flip-flopping constantly — those things dilute your presence. And a diluted presence never becomes a memorable brand. At its core, personal branding is about being remembered for the right reasons. Not the loudest voice in the room, but the most centred. Not the most agreeable person, but the one who knows how to disagree gracefully.


Not the one who always had the plan, but the one who led with grace through ambiguity. The world doesn’t need more perfect people. It needs more authentic, self-aware individuals who know when to speak, when to listen, and when to simply reflect.


Those who invest time in understanding themselves create a brand that is unshakeable — not because they are stubborn, but because they are intentional. In today’s business environment, especially for board members, founders, and C-suite executives, the pressure to perform often drowns out the need to pause. But real power lies in reflection. When the spotlight fades, who are you? When the pitch is over, what does your presence say? Your personal brand isn’t built on what you do when people are watching. It’s built on how you behave when no one is. Maintaining calm in unfavourable situations isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the differentiator. It shows emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-trust.


It sends out a signal to your team, peers, and stakeholders that you’re not just a doer, but a leader. And in the world of leadership branding, presence is everything. Building your personal brand isn’t a one-time exercise. It’s a lifelong practice of alignment — between who you are and how you show up. Between what you stand for and how you express it. Between your goals and your grit. Clarity might not come overnight, but commitment to the process always pays off.


In times like these, where people are bombarded with choices and attention spans are fleeting, the calmest brand often becomes the most magnetic. So whether you’re reinventing yourself or amplifying what you already are, remember this — personal branding isn’t about being impressive, it’s about being deeply in tune with who you are. That’s the brand that earns trust. That’s the brand that stays.


Are you still unclear about what you wish to do? Stuck in the chaos of everyday life taking each day at a time? Then it’s time for you to take a step back and reflect, focus on how you wish to build a legacy. And if you need help with that, you are just a step away from being helped. All you need to do is reach out to me and we can figure this out together.



(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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