PHSC permits hiring of firemen at Ludhiana civil hospital after 1.5-year wait

Though the hospital has the financial capacity to hire firemen using funds from its user charges category, it was legally required to obtain permission from the Punjab Health Service Corporation

After a delay of over a year and a half in securing necessary approvals, the Ludhiana civil hospital has finally received permission to hire the trained firemen required to operate its completed fire detection and fighting system. This critical infrastructure has remained unused since its installation was finalised in March 2024.

The ongoing risk was underscored just a day ago when the bushes behind the hospital’s blood bank caught fire. (HT File)

The history of the system is marked by stops and starts; installation commenced in 2018 but stalled midway. It was only after a minor fire broke out at the hospital in March 2024 that the issue gained urgency, prompting the rapid completion of the system’s physical setup. However, operational rules mandate that trained firemen must be on staff to run the system effectively.

Though the hospital has the financial capacity to hire firemen using funds from its user charges category, it was legally required to obtain permission from the Punjab Health Service Corporation (PHSC). Hospital authorities had submitted a request to the PHSC shortly after the system was completed.

Senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Akhil Sareen confirmed the breakthrough last week. “We received the permission from PHSC just last week. We have now initiated the process with Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) to provide us with the required firemen,” Dr Sareen stated.

Dr Sareen added that while the fire safety system is physically in place in the old wing, the official handover is pending until the firemen from PESCO arrive. In parallel, the fire safety system installation in the Mother and Child wing is nearing completion and is expected to be operational within a few weeks.

The ongoing risk was underscored just a day ago when the bushes behind the hospital’s blood bank caught fire. Fortunately, quick action by the hospital staff, who used fire extinguishers, was able to put out the flames quickly.