E-Paper
Every life is priority, ensure 24x7 power at all hospitals: Centre to states
The Centre referred to the recent fire incidents and asked states and UTs to draw an action plan to ensure fire safety of all hospitals.
In the aftermath of the back-to-back fire incidents at Covid-19 hospitals, the ministry of home affairs on Wednesday wrote to all chief secretaries of states and union territories asking them for a plan of action to ensure that no fire incident occurs in any of the health facilities, particularly in Covid-dedicated facilities. Not of government facilities, private facilities should also be checked thoroughly, the ministry said.
Incidents of a short circuit are taking place, either because of the high temperature or the lack of maintenance or because of the high load on internal wirings within the facilities, the ministry wrote.
There should be a detailed review of all health facilities by the officials of the health, fire and power departments. "The States & UTs have also been requested to issue directions to the concerned officials at various levels, that health facility should be visited by field-level officials, to examine internal wirings and availability of functional safety equipment as per fire safety guidelines, within these facilities, and necessary remedial action be taken immediately in case any deficiencies are found," the PIB press release said.
Emphasising that saving every life is a priority, the Centre said that a large number of Covid-19 cases are under treatment in Covid-dedicated facilities. Most of them are at ICU beds, oxygen-supported beds and are under ventilation. "It is important to ensure that there is the uninterrupted power supply on a regular 24x7 basis, in all the hospitals and medical facilities," the Centre said.
On late Tuesday night, a fire broke out at UK Nursing Home in Delhi's Vikaspuri. There were 26 patients and all of them were admitted to the hospital for Covid-19 treatment. No injuries were reported.
At least 15 Covid-19were killed in April after a fire broke out at the second floor ICU of Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Thane's Virar.
