KEM Hospital flouts fire norms: Activist

A non-governmental organisation filed a complaint with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), alleging ward 20 of the ICU of KEM Hospital is hazardous and

A non-governmental organisation filed a complaint with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), alleging ward 20 of the ICU of KEM Hospital is hazardous and does not comply with fire safety norms. Ward 20 is a general ward.

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KEM Hospital is the city’s biggest municipal hospital, with 1800 beds and 82,000 annual admissions. Ward 20 has 19 beds.

Jitendra Tandel, secretary of the patients’ rights organisation Runga Kalyan Seva Samajik Sanstha, filed a complaint about the conditions at KEM Hospital with the BMC, on Thursday.

“The wiring of the lights and switch boxes are coming off inside the wards. The centralised air cooler system is congested with dust and dirt, which is like a fatal accident waiting to happen. They need to inspect all the ventilators, ECG machines among others,” said Tandel.

“Considering it is the biggest civic-run hospital, any fire outbreak would lead to the condition of stampede,” he said.