LNJP Hospital found in violation of Fire Safety Norms

New Delhi: During a recent inspection by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital — the largest public healthcare facility in Delhi — was found to be in widespread violation of critical fire safety norms across multiple hospital blocks. As a result, the hospital was denied the renewal of its mandatory Fire Safety Certificate.

The inspection, carried out on March 25 and 26 in the presence of officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), revealed numerous issues, including blocked emergency staircases, absent or non-functional firefighting equipment, and disconnected smoke management systems. With summer temperatures soaring and the risk of fire-related incidents increasing, the lapses have raised serious concerns over the safety of both patients and staff.

The DFS report identified several critical areas within the hospital that were found lacking. In the Casualty OPD and Surgical Block, the six-meter-wide access road required for fire tender movement was either not clearly demarcated or obstructed. One staircase in the Surgical Block was found blocked with dumped waste, posing a major threat to evacuation efforts during emergencies.

The exit signage was insufficient, and several hydrant boxes were found to be missing hoses and branches. Additionally, parts of the Casualty Block were undergoing renovation, resulting in the temporary disconnection of firefighting systems.

In the BL Taneja and MRD Blocks, Manual Call Points (MCPs) were reported as non-functional, and firefighting hoses were missing from multiple locations. The smoke management system in the MRD basement was not operational, while loosely hanging electric wires posed additional fire hazards.

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The New Special Ward was found to have incomplete firefighting infrastructure, missing door closers on fire check doors, and non-operational PA systems. Speaking to TNIE, a PWD official said, “It was informed during the inspection that renovation work is ongoing on several floors. Still, it doesn’t justify the lack of basic fire safety preparedness.”

Based on the findings, the Delhi Fire Services has declined to renew LNJP’s Fire Safety Certificate, stating that approval “cannot be considered” until full compliance with fire safety regulations is ensured.

The hospital, which receives over 5,000 patients daily in its Outpatient and Inpatient Departments, plays a crucial role in Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure. The failure to meet fire safety norms is especially alarming in light of last year’s devastating fire at the Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar.

Also Read: 7 Newborns dead, 5 Injured: What Went Wrong in Delhi's Neonatal Hospital that Caught Fire?

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that in a tragic incident, seven newborns died and five were injured after a baby care centre in Delhi's Vivek Vihar caught fire. As per media reports, the hospital authorities did not possess a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.