Pune’s Sassoon Hospital to be tobacco-free zone

The hospital administration has decided to intensify the security at the hospital and start penalising visitors found carrying tobacco and tobacco products

Following the fire incident reported at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) on Friday due to smoking inside the washroom, the hospital administration has decided to intensify the security at the hospital and start penalising visitors found carrying tobacco and tobacco products, said, the officials.

On Friday around 8 pm, a fire broke out on the tenth floor of the new building of Sassoon General Hospital (HT FILE)

Dr Vinayak Kale, dean of BJ Medical College and SGH, said, the administration has decided to intensify the security at the hospital and limit the number of visitors at the hospital.

“The visitors at the old SGH building for the past seven years undergo a security check to see if they carry tobacco and tobacco products like pan masala, gutka, cigarettes, bidi or mawa, etc while visiting patients. These products are confiscated, and visitors are penalised for spitting. We are going to implement this in the new building too and start penalizing people found with tobacco products inside the campus,” he said.

On Friday around 8 pm, a fire broke out on the tenth floor of the new building of Sassoon General Hospital. A fire engine and water tanker were immediately dispatched by the Naidu Fire Station upon being alerted. The fire was controlled by security guards at SGH with the help of fire extinguishers and a major tragedy was averted.

Reacting to the issue, Dr Kale said, it has been decided to regularly conduct mock fire drills and training sessions for the hospital staff.

“Patients relatives found visiting with tobacco products won’t be permitted to meet the patients. The number of visitors will also be restricted. However, unfortunately, we face resistance when we try to implement discipline in the public interest,” he said.

The new building at SGH was inaugurated last month by Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar. It has seven departments—pediatric, chest medicine, anesthesiology, orthopaedic, ENT, ophthalmology, and dermatology.