Surat: Only 25% have complied with fire safety norms

Surat: The fire and emergency department of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had issued notices to at least 200 hospitals and nursing homes in the city, asking them to follow preventive and protective measures after fires ravaged two hospitals in Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar 10 months ago. However, just 53 hospitals have complied with the directive and adhere to fire safety regulations under National Building Code.

Surat witnessed two incidents of fire in hospitals located in shopping complexes. The first incident took place on March 25, 2018 in a hospital at Tadwadi in Adajan. About 50 people were trapped in the hospital, but all were rescued. On August 29, 2018, another incident of fire occurred in a commercial complex on Rander Road. A hospital located on the second floor of the commercial complex was full of smoke making 12 people unwell. However, the injury was not so serious.

Vasant Parekh, chief fire officer, SMC, said, “The department had served all the hospitals with three-page notice asking them to come up with fire safety measures prescribed under National Building Code. However, only 25% of them have complied so far. Majority of the hospitals have no evacuation exit to save lives in a dire situation.”

Under fire safety regulations, a water reservoir to store water is a mandatory requirement. The hospitals have to store water in sufficient quantity and according to the number of beds. However, none of the hospitals in the city, barring a few big ones follow the norms.

Electrical safety audits and mock drills are regularly conducted, but the city’s hospitals are not at all concerned. But for a few big hospitals, none of the hospitals have safety ramps for easy evacuation of patients.

The hospitals also have to set-up emergency power-supply system in case of electricity failure, but more than 70% are not equipped with it.

All they have is a small generator. About 80% of hospitals operating out of commercial complexes just have an alarm bell and no fire detection system.

Healthcare consultant Dr Arun John said, “Certification of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) should be made mandatory for the healthcare facilities. The hospitals should not be allowed to operate without it because else they endanger the lives of people.”