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Amid pandemic, 33 Ludhiana hospitals sitting on tinder box
Audit finds these hospitals lacking basic fire safety arrangements such as smoke and fire detection systems, ventilation, fire exit, fire-fighting equipment etc
Already bursting at the seams with Covid patients amid the second wave of infections, 33 private hospitals in Ludhiana are sitting on a powder keg in the absence of proper fire-safety arrangements, an MC audit revealed.
The municipal corporation (MC) team found glaring anomalies, including the absence of smoke and fire detection systems, lack of proper water storage capacity and installation of water pipes across the building, which may prove fatal in the event of a fire emergency.
The team had carried out audits at 39 major hospitals in the city on the directions of deputy commissioner (DC) Varinder Sharma. The hospitals were checked for compliance of various safety norms, such as availability of proper ventilation, fire exit, fire-fighting equipment etc.
While six hospitals --Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Mohan Dai Oswal Hospital, SPS Hospital and Pancham hospital -- were found to be complying with the norms, the rest were found with certain shortcomings following which the fire department issued compliance notices to these.
Fire station officer Jaswinder Singh said, “Many of these hospitals had put in place some fire safety arrangements but those were not in keeping with the norms listed in the national building code. After inspections, the fire department issued notices to erring hospitals. The managements of these hospitals, in their reply, have assured us that the required fire-safety arrangements will be made in a week or so.”
A fire official, requesting anonymity, said the civil hospital and other government hospitals in the city also have glaring anomalies with regards to fire safety but authorities are turning a blind eye to the issue.
MC joint commissioner Kulpreet Singh said that after serving notices, a reminder was also sent to the hospitals on May 22 to comply with the fire safety norms. The report regarding the fire audit has also been forwarded to the DC office. Further action will be initiated as per the directions from DC office.
As per officials, the state government had ordered the audit after fire incidents were reported in Covid hospitals of Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states recently. Several patients had also lost their lives in these tragedies.
Principal secretary of local bodies department AK Sinha also reviewed the ongoing process on Tuesday.
Hospitals take corrective steps
After the civic body issued notices, the managements of different hospitals jumped into action for taking corrective steps. Shree Raghunath Hospital society secretary Rajneesh Jain said the fire officials highlighted some issues related to installation of fire-fighting pipes in the hospital. A new vendor has been appointed by the hospital management for repairs and installation of pipes and work has already started, he said.
Similarly, Dr Baldeep Singh of Deep Hospital said, “Proper arrangements have been done in the hospital. During the inspection, the fire brigade officials had highlighted a few points regarding fire safety and corrective steps were taken on the same day.”
