Ensure fire NOCs, Conduct inspections of hospitals: Pune Health Dept issues advisory

Pune: Following the tragic fire incident at a baby care centre in Delhi's Vivek Vihar where seven newborns lost their lives, the joint director of health services has issued guidelines asking all health officials across the state to adopt proactive measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

In a letter issued by Dr Sunita Golhait, the joint director of health services (Hospitals) has asked all health officers of Municipal corporations, district health officers, civil surgeons, and deputy directors across the state to conduct thorough inspections of all hospitals. These inspections aim to address any electrical capacity issues, verify the existence of valid fire NOCs, and enforce necessary safety protocols to prevent potential hospital fires.

“All the healthcare facilities have been instructed to conduct thorough inspections of all private and government hospitals in their jurisdiction. The officials are directed to address any discrepancies in electrical load capacity, ensure that hospitals have valid fire NOCs from respective fire departments, and implement critical safety measures. Besides, the officials are asked to submit a report on their findings,” reads the letter. 

Also read- 7 Newborns Dead, 5 Injured: What Went Wrong In Delhi's Neonatal Hospital That Caught Fire?

“Conduct comprehensive fire safety audits and on-site inspections of all hospitals to assess fire safety compliance. Ensure that fire-fighting systems, including fire alarms, fire smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, and fire lifts, are present, fully functional and maintained,” added the letter. 

The letter further stated, “Electrical equipment is used in important departments like SNCU, ICU Surgery and Dialysis unit. To avoid threats, ensure electrical load audits and calibration of electrical loads in all departments. Make sure that multiple high-power devices are not connected to a single circuit. Hospitals store a lot of inflammable materials like various chemicals, gas cylinders, heat-dissipating surgical instruments, etc.”  

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that seven newborns died and five got injured after a baby care centre in Delhi's Vivek Vihar caught fire. It was revealed that the hospital authorities did not possess a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department and the hospital was operating despite the expiry of its license. Also, it had no qualified doctors.

According to officials as reported by HT, fire safety assessments of hospitals are essential because most fire accidents are caused by short circuits, overheating, overloading, poor-quality electrical equipment, improper wiring, lack of proper earthing, and increased electrical load from air conditioning systems and other equipment.

The hospitals have received instructions to enforce strict regulations against smoking in areas where hospital oxygen tanks and piped oxygen are present. These designated areas must be identified with appropriate signage, and employees working in these areas should undergo training to understand the potential hazards associated with high levels of oxygen.

Additionally, the department has recommended that hospital staff receive training on fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures for patients, staff, and visitors in the event of unexpected incidents such as fires, and the proper utilization of firefighting equipment.

There are a total of 899 private hospitals and nursing homes registered under the Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration Act 1949 that fall under the jurisdiction of the PMC. At the same time, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has 617 private hospitals and 1,456 clinics registered with the civic body. However, fire safety is neglected in many clinics and small and medium-sized hospitals.

Similarly, Dr Kalpana Baliwant, deputy health officer of PMC told The Daily, “Fire and electrical audits are mandatory for private hospitals seeking new registration or renewal under the Bombay Nursing Home Act. While most private hospitals and all PMC-run hospitals have valid fire NOCs and electrical audits, we will instruct ward medical officers to conduct thorough inspections to ensure compliance with fire safety and electrical standards. Ward medical officers regularly carry out inspections for fire safety compliance.”