Rourkela: A six-day-old newborn suffered critical burn injuries on Saturday early morning at the Om Appolo Hospital in the civil township here following a blast in the neo-natal unit.

The mishap sparked tension at the private health care unit with local people blaming the hospital authorities for carelessness resulting in the mishap.

Police rushed to the spot to restore order in and around the medical facility. No untoward incident was reported, the police said.

The male newborn, who suffered 75 per cent external burn injuries, was shifted to Ispat General Hospital in a critical condition. As the baby's health condition has further aggravated, he was taken to a Bhubaneswar-based hospital. Hospital sources said the father of the child wanted to shift the baby to Bhubaneswar.

The baby was afflicted with neo-natal jaundice after birth. Therefore, he had been kept in the specialised light therapy care under the neo-natal incubation machine. However, the apparatus accidentally burst following suspected electrical short circuit. The sparks were splintered on the baby, critically injuring him, said hospital director Dr Ajit Singh.

"As the baby was born premature by caesarean operation, he had been under round-the-clock observation in the neo-natal unit. The blast was an accident. So, the hospital authorities need not be blamed for it," he said.

However, the baby's parents differed from the hospital management's viewpoint.

"It was sheer carelessness on part of the hospital. My child is battling for life. They should have carried out proper maintenance of the incubation machine, which is earmarked for the newborns," said Manoj Das, father of the injured baby.