Jhansi: Yakoob Mansuri, a young man in his 20s, became a hero for several children on Friday night. However, he couldn’t save his own newborn twin daughters from a fire at the hospital.

Originally from Hamirpur, Yakoob, a food vendor, had been sleeping outside the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College. His two newborn daughters were admitted there for treatment. With his wife Nazma, Yakoob stayed at the hospital, taking turns to watch over their babies.

When the fire broke out on Friday night, Yakoob broke the glass window and rushed into the NICU to rescue as many infants as he could. Unfortunately, his twin daughters were not among those he managed to save. Their bodies were found on Saturday. Yakoob and Nazma waited outside the hospital all day, their faces reflecting deep sorrow.

Similarly, Sanjana Kumari, who had recently given birth to her first child, found her joy turn into grief. “My baby was burned to death before my eyes, and I could only watch helplessly. The hospital’s negligence destroyed my dreams. I couldn’t even hold my child,” she said, wiping away her tears.

Santoshi Devi from Jalaun, who had brought her baby to the hospital due to delivery complications, also lost her child in the chaos of the fire. She identified her baby’s body on Saturday. “I heard loud screams, but my baby was gone,” she said, overwhelmed with grief.

Just 11 days ago, she had given birth to a baby who is no longer with her. “I heard loud noises and rushed to the scene, but how could I save my child? Nobody told us what was happening,” she lamented.

Sonu and Sanjana, who had admitted their baby due to respiratory issues, also lost their child in the fire. “We were told not to feed him, so we stepped away for a while. By the time we returned, the NICU had been ravaged by the fire,” said Sanjana. "We did everything we could, but in the end, he was taken from us," said Sonu, while his brother Parsuram recounted their struggles: "We sold everything and took loans, all in the hope that he would survive."

Niranjan Maharaj from Lalitpur identified his grandchild’s charred body by its name tag. "The hospital staff didn’t act in time," he alleged.

Families of the victims have accused the hospital of negligence, claiming that timely intervention could have saved lives. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and lapses in safety protocols.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Dubai: Gulf Medical University has been ranked in the 351–400 band globally for Pharmacy & Pharmacology in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

According to the university, this places it among a limited group of institutions worldwide recognized for academic performance in the field. Within the United Arab Emirates, it is one of five institutions offering undergraduate pharmacy programs to be included in the rankings. Regionally, it is among 32 Arab universities listed in this subject category.

The ranking is based on indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, and international collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad AlShorbagy, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, stated that the ranking reflects the academic structure, faculty contributions, and student performance within the college. He added that the institution aims to continue developing its pharmacy programs and research output.

Chancellor Prof. Manda Venkatramana said the recognition aligns with the university’s objective of strengthening its position in medical education and research. He noted that the institution plans to expand its academic and research initiatives in the coming years.

The College of Pharmacy at the university offers a curriculum focused on clinical training and research-based learning. The institution currently provides 45 accredited programs across disciplines including Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Nursing, Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, and Healthcare Management.

The university reports that its student body includes individuals from more than 100 countries.