After BMC’s survey, 3 major civic hospitals promise action

After the civic body’s survey exposed the city’s civic hospitals to be ‘fire traps’, three major civic hospitals on Wednesday said they have begun rectifying the shortcomings in fire safety.

After the civic body’s survey exposed the city’s civic hospitals to be ‘fire traps’, three major civic hospitals on Wednesday said they have begun rectifying the shortcomings in fire safety.

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Officers at Nair hospital said they would hold training sessions for security and medical staff, recharge fire extinguishers and open the locked staircases leading to the operation theatre and to the resident doctors’ quarters.

“We will identify security guards, ward assistants, doctors and nurses for fire safety training which will start in 8-10 days. Our engineers will seal wiring in the hospital,” said Dr RV Rananavare, dean, Nair Hospital.

“We plan to procure additional fire extinguishers and recharge the existing 80,” said Dr Rananavare adding that few staircases that were locked for security reasons will be opened.

KEM hospital, Parel, plans to start a hotline for urgent communication between the fire stations and the hospital. “We have also set up a fire committee of 14 members including the matron, administrative staff and security guards, which will meet every month and monitor fire safety norms,” said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean, KEM Hospital. The hospital has planned a fire drill for all its employees next week.

At Sion hospital, the audit found the basement being used as an office and for storing scrap material.

“We are in the process of removing the scrap. The linen and other stores in the basement will also be moved soon. We are also installing firefighting equipment and are seeing that exits, entrances and staircases are kept free,” said Dr Sandhya Kamath, dean, Sion hospital.