‘183 hospitals in Thane don’t have fire NOCs’: Fire brigade dept

The department said none of these hospitals had fire NOCs, thus their applications for renewal could not be accepted.

Following the sealing of fifteen hospitals in the city for not complying with fire safety norms, the fire brigade department of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has also recently rejected the renewal of fire-safety NOCs (no-objection certificates) of 183 hospitals across the city, according to officials.

One of the fifteen Thane hospitals sealed for not complying with fire-safety norms. (Praful Gangurde/ HT)

The department said none of these hospitals had fire NOCs, thus their applications for renewal could not be accepted.

The doctors’ association, however, claimed that among the hospitals rejected, more than 40 already had fire NOCs.

According to the law, the NOC is given when all fire safety norms are fulfilled by any establishment, after which every six months, the establishments have to file a Form B to certify that all the systems are in place and in working condition.

Shashikant Kale, chief fire officer, said, “In the last week of April, 183 hospitals had filed Form B with us. However, around 138 of these hospitals had no fire-safety NOC, while the remaining hospitals had some loopholes when it came to fire safety. We have rejected the Form B of all these hospitals, thus action needs to be taken against them. The government has appointed few agents to set up fire-safety equipment and service and certify them. However, people do not realise that these agents aren’t fire inspectors or auditors and their Form B is not the final word. They will have to follow fire safety norms as per the fire safety act and not as per the agency’s.”

There are 334 hospitals in the city. According to the health department, 138 hospitals have no fire NOCs.

RT Kendre, health officer of TMC, said, “We have a list of only 138 hospitals who do not have fire NOCs. If the fire department claims that there are 183 hospitals, they should give us a list and we will take action against them.”