Private hospitals flag delays, documentation hurdles in fire NOC process

According to them, heavy documentation and frequent glitches in the PMC online system cause preventable delays in acquiring the certificate, which is mandatory under the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act, 1949

Private hospitals in the city along with members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have raised concerns over the lengthy and tedious process for getting a Fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). According to them, heavy documentation and frequent glitches in the PMC online system cause preventable delays in acquiring the certificate, which is mandatory under the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act, 1949.

We also understand there can be technical issues, and the respective department is working on it, says official. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The issue has come to the fore after PMC started inspection of hospitals and nursing homes, and issued show cause notices to 37 private hospitals recently for allegedly violating the Nursing Home Act.

The IMA said a Fire NOC is now being sought every year, even though as per the rules, it is required only once in a lifetime, after which hospitals are expected to submit a ‘B Form’ fire safety audit report twice a year - in January and July. The B Forms are issued by agencies authorised by the fire department to certify that installed fire safety systems are in working condition. The hospitals bear the cost of the audits.

Hospital representatives said they are being asked to apply for the Fire NOC along with the B Form, which is unnecessary as both carry similar compliance importance. They also questioned the rationale behind asking for additional documents like property tax receipts, society NOCs, floor plans and completion certificates, as most of these were verified by the PMC health department and submitted during registration or renewal.

“There is also no need to ask for documents such as water tax, previous Fire NOC, shop act, MSEB bill and photocopies of refilling of fire extinguishers,” said Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, Hospital Board of India. “Getting the NOC from societies every year is especially difficult for hospitals operating in a multi-use building. The society NOC and other documents like the shop act, floor plans and completion certificates are already submitted during registration, and there is no point in demanding the same again.”

Complaining about the PMC online system as being slow, president of IMA Pune Chapter, Dr Sunil Ingale, said, “Once documents are uploaded, the process takes two to three months. However, during this time, inspections continue. Who will take responsibility if approvals are pending due to system issues?”

When HT contacted the civic health department for comments, Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer of PMC, said, “During inspections, the hospitals are exempted if they have applied for the NOC but have not received it yet. We also understand there can be technical issues, and the respective department is working on it.”

Despite repeated attempts, Devendra Potphode, chief fire officer of PMC, could not be reached for comment.