527 hospitals under Maharashtra scanner for fire audit

complyPune: Following the orders directed by PM Narendra Modi that all state hospitals must adopt the fire safety suggestions given by the fire audit. Approximately 527 hospitals have completed their fire safety audits across the state, said a health official. 

Adoption of the recommendations provided by the fire audit will begin within six months of the announcement of those recommendations.

CM Uddhav Thackeray also informed all district collectors in the state to complete the fire safety audit as early as possible.

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Earlier Medical Dialogues team had reported on the fire accident that happened on January 9, 2021, that killed 10 premature babies in the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Bhandara district general hospital. As well as the massive fire that broke out in the ICU ward of the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital in Maharashtra on November 6, 2021, that killed 11 COVID-19 patients, and eight patients received burn injuries in the blaze.

After both the fire accidents, the state government directed all the state hospitals to start a fire and electrical audits to prevent such accidents in the near future. While the fire audit inspected each hospital, they paid careful observation to the infrastructure work of the hospital and also the additional fire safety equipment at the facilities.

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The health official told TOI, "The Public Work Department (PWD) was carrying out the work at the hospitals, and the state, along with the district planning and development committee, had agreed to allocate around Rs200 crore for the work."

State director of fire services Santosh Varikh said, "The loopholes have been identified and each district has to comply with the recommendations."

Fire accidents happen for many reasons but mostly due to electrical problems. Hence, the state government directed all the hospitals in the state to manage their power load and also keep an eye on the oxygen-enrich environment which is mostly surgical areas that are especially susceptible to fires due to the use of supplemental oxygen and nitrous oxide.