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Maha orders fire, electrical safety audits of hospitals
Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered an immediate audit of fire safety, electrical systems, building safety and hospital equipment in all government, private and charitable hospitals
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Pune: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered an immediate audit of fire safety, electrical systems, building safety and hospital equipment in all government, private and charitable hospitals across the state.
The directive comes amid renewed concerns over hospital fire safety following the deaths of three newborns in a fire at Amravati District Women’s Hospital on Monday.
Public health minister Prakash Abitkar directed hospital authorities to identify safety gaps and take corrective measures immediately. He said the safety of every patient undergoing treatment was the government’s top priority.
“No negligence will be tolerated on fire safety. Fire, building, electrical and equipment audits must be conducted and the deficiencies identified must be addressed immediately,” Abitkar said.
The inspections will cover sensitive areas such as ICUs, NICUs, nurseries and operation theatres. Authorities will check electrical safety, medical gas pipeline systems, emergency evacuation arrangements, the availability and functioning of firefighting equipment, staff training and mock drills.
The government has also directed hospitals to include every building and block on their premises in a fire-safety assessment every six months. The exercise must involve physical inspection and corrective action, rather than being limited to paperwork.
Each healthcare institution will have to appoint a nodal officer for fire safety. The officer will review fire and electrical safety audits, firefighting systems, evacuation arrangements, staff training and mock drills, and submit compliance reports to senior authorities.
Hospital heads, divisional deputy directors, civil surgeons, district health officers, municipal health officers and medical superintendents have been assigned responsibility for ensuring audits across government, private and charitable institutions.
Abitkar warned that hospital heads would be held responsible for incidents resulting from delays in fire audits or serious safety lapses.
The health department has directed institutions to submit regular reports on safety assessments and corrective action and ensure compliance with national fire and life-safety guidelines issued by the Centre. Officials said the exercise was aimed at ensuring hospitals are not only compliant on paper but also prepared to protect patients during an actual emergency.
