Fire rules order may cost Delhi 6000 Covid beds

There are 1,478 registered hospitals, nursing homes, maternity homes and health sub-centres in Delhi, data shows. Only 103 of these had a clearance certificate from the fire department in April 2019

Several small nursing homes in Delhi have started doing away with Covid-19 beds in their facilities on the second floor and above, with the health department enforcing a fire safety norm that is likely to end up costing the city around 6,000 Covid-19 beds, a union of health care providers said.

Health infrastructure in the city has been under immense pressure due to the surge of cases in the fourth wave. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times) (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

“The keepers of all nursing homes, providing Covid-19 related treatments, who have not submitted NOC from fire department are hereby directed to carry out nursing home activities on the ground and first floors only,” the order dated April 30 read. The order, signed by state medical superintendent Dr RN Das, also warns nursing homes of action if any contravention comes to light.

Health infrastructure in the city has been under immense pressure due to the surge of cases in the fourth wave, with hospital beds and medical oxygen extremely hard to come by.

As on Monday night, only 1,353 of the 21,395 beds and 23 of the 5,147 ICU beds were vacant, showed government data.

Experts have questioned the timing of this order.

Bedi said he is shutting 20 of the 40 beds in his nursing home that caters to Covid-19 patients.

“This order directly means that more than 6,000 beds used in various nursing homes and private hospitals on the 2nd floor of the premises shall be made unavailable with the immediate effect and causes the collapsing medical facilities of the city to be undermined,” said a letter from the National Medical Forum.

The 2019 norms make it mandatory for all two-storey buildings to get no-objection certificates (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Services(DFS).

The norms also make it mandatory for institutes that are two-storeys tall or higher to have a six-metre-wide access road for fire tenders. Their corridors need to be at least 2.4 metres-wide, and their staircases two metres-wide staircases.

There are 1,478 registered hospitals, nursing homes, maternity homes and health sub-centres in Delhi, data shows. Only 103 of these had a clearance certificate from the fire department in April 2019, according to a letter sent by DFS to the Director General of Health Services. Nursing homes’ registrations were renewed without inspections in 2020 due to Covid-19.

“We are shutting down well-equipped and staffed beds and creating beds in makeshift facilities. How does this make sense?” said Dr Bedi.

“This is not the time to look for compliance to such guidelines. With the current load of cases, hospitals are adding beds in the galleries, do you see the NABH [National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers] objecting to it?” said Girdhar Gyani, director general, Association of Healthcare Providers (India).