Experts call for more fire safety in hospitals

Hyderabad:The incidents of fire in hospitals have led to loss of life and property, the most recent one at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu on Friday that claimed life of seven including a child. Last month, 10 newborns were lost to a blaze in a hospital in Jhansi. With this, fire safety inspections in hospitals becomes a matter of immediate concern.

As per the data shared by the fire department, 1,147 inspections have been done in all hospitals in the past one year. The department has also done around 883 drills in various hospitals. According to Harinath Reddy, regional fire officer, hospitals come under institutional buildings and are inspected along the guidelines mentioned in the National Building Code, 2016.

“These buildings are required to have fire fighting systems such as hosereels, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, smoke detectors, smoke alarms, pumphouse, etc. The fire management system needs to be well-managed and elaborate as the height of the building increases. The buildings upto the height of 15m are not required to have a No-Objection Certificate. However, every hospital, irrespective of the height, needs to have minimal fire-fighting systems,” Reddy said.

The health department revealed on Friday that registered private healthcare facilities in Telangana have increased from 10,669 to 17,295 by November 2024. “We are following intensified monitoring. All government hospitals are required to complete registration under the Clinical Establishment Act within one month. Special emphasis is being placed on fire safety measures, ensuring hospitals adhere to required standards to safeguard patients and staff,” said Dr B. Ravinder Nayak, director, public health.

Reddy informed that all big hospitals are required to have open spaces of 3000 sq metre around their buildings alongside elaborate fire-fighting systems. However, the main culprits in most hospitals are air-conditioners. “The ACs need to be checked regularly and need to have outlets. They pose the most danger to hospitals, not the oxygen lines,” Reddy said.

While notices are issued to a majority of the hospitals inspected, the department does not keep a check on defaulters and it is fairly easy to register both renewals of NOCs as well as complaints on the fire department website. “The issuing of notices happens at various points, allowing institutions to make changes. However, if a building still does not make the necessary changes, notices are sent to the district collector or the medical authorities,” Reddy said.

“Implementation of the fire safety guidelines upto the required level has not yet achieved. Many buildings occupied by hospitals /clinics either need upgrade or require fire installation based on their usage and risk involved,” said Dr S.P. Anchuri, structural engineer.