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Civil hospital running sans fire NOC since 2018
Notably, installation of a fire detection and firefighting system, which was slated for completion by February 19, 2019, at a cost of ₹69.19 lakh remains incomplete
Throwing caution to the wind, the district’s largest civic-run health facility, Lord Mahavir Government Hospital, has been operating without a fire no-objection certificate (NOC) since 2018, raising concerns over safety of thousands of patients, their families, and hospital staff.
Notably, installation of a fire detection and firefighting system, which was slated for completion by February 19, 2019, at a cost of ₹69.19 lakh remains incomplete.
The project aimed at installing fire fighting and fire detection systems in the out patient department (OPD) and emergency building, was awarded to Chandigarh-based agency Apex Fire Guard Engineers on August 20, 2018, but remains unfinished to date due to the contractor being unresponsive.
The ongoing installation of fire protection systems takes place in a building that witnesses over 3,000 daily visitors. The OPD section alone receives an average of more than 1,500 patients seeking treatment, and the wards in the same building accommodate over 350 admitted patients. Besides, the emergency and trauma ward, also situated within the same building, adding 300 patients and doctors each to the count.
In addition to the non-operational fire protection system, the hospital also lacks emergency exits. The building has three gates, of which two are locked after 2 pm leaving only one entrance and exit to the building.
“The building witnesses the highest footfall in the hospital, has trauma and operation theatre we have hundreds of oxygen cylinders placed inside the building and in case of fire eventuality the building will be at mercy of hand held fire extinguishers and narrow exit posing a life hazard to thousands of people present in this building at any given time,” a senior doctor from the emergency ward not wishing to be named said.
According to the hospital authorities last fire audit in hospital was conducted in December 2020, after which the fire safety officer issued a letter to the hospital and public health system corporation (PHSC) responsible for fire safety to get the installation work completed at the earliest and obtain NOC
The safety of the building, however, relies on fire extinguisher cylinders.
“Fire appliances mandatory under table seven, part four of National Building Code of India 2016 (NBC 2016) are non operational, they should be brought into working condition at the earliest to minimise life hazard,” the letter read.
While a senior medical officer at the hospital maintained that the hospital lacks NOC due to insufficient funds, a senior PHSC official said the NOC has not been obtained due to the incomplete installation of firefighting and fire detection systems.
Passing back the buck, fire nodal officer Aditiya Singla and senior medical officer of district civil hospital said the matter had earlier been brought to the notice of PHSC, civil surgeon and deputy commissioner.
The PHSC official revealed that despite sending at least 20 letters to the contractor and to the senior authorities since the project’s deadline lapsed in February 2019, they have not received any response.
PHSC sub-divisional officer Sukhwant Singh said, “We are trying to get in touch with the contractor and will try to get the pending work started either by the same contractor or we will float new tenders with permission of higher authorities. Though the work was nearing completion when the contractor left, several parts of the installed system have been stolen over the years due to lack of security.”
Fire department in-charge Swaran Singh, meanwhile, said, “It is very essential for a commercial building as big as district hospital to have NOC and all fire equipment in place because they are at higher risk to such eventualities. The cost is ₹30,000 for a 300-bedded hospital and can go up to one ₹1 lakh depending on the area of premises.”
