Chennai: The Madras high court has directed authorities to ensure that no new hospital buildings must be constructed without complying with fire safety norms and fire evacuation arrangement.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar, before which the PIL filed by Jawaharlal Shanmugam of Tiruvanmiyur came up for hearing, said that authorities shall ensure that no new hospitals are constructed in contravention of the rules, and without complying with the fire safety norms and adequate firefighting and fire evacuation arrangement.
The bench said petitioner, having been included in the committee of experts, might give his suggestion to the committee not only with regard to the measures that might be taken, but also intimate the committee of experts in the filed whose advice and the assistance might be taken.
It is expected that the committee will devise a comprehensive and detailed plan for installation of ramps and firefighters - fire evacuation devices in the hospitals and education institutions. The bench directed the committee to submit its report to the court and posted the matter to February 9, 2018.
Jawaharlal Shanmugam, in the petition, sought the court to direct all authorities concerned to provide ramp facility as a mandatory rule from the topmost floors to ground floor for easy evacuation of the patients.
