Senegal police arrest 2 health workers after neonatal fire

By BABACAR DIONE
Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegalese officials have arrested two health workers from a neonatal unit where a fire killed 11 newborns last week. The nurse and a nurse’s aide who were on duty Wednesday night when the fire took place at the Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital. They were arrested for “neglecting children” and “endangering the lives of others,” according the private Senegalese radio station Rfm. The arrests took place Sunday, days after President Macky Sall promised a police and general state inspector investigation to determine the cause of the fire. He also called for auditing of all medical equipment that accommodates newborns in the country.  A series of other deaths also have raised concerns about maternal and infant health in the West African nation.