HYDERABAD: Are hospitals in Hyderabad fully equipped to fight fire-related incidents? Do these hospital buildings adhere to fire safety norms? Disaster management measures in hospitals across the country have come under the scanner against the backdrop of the recent fire incident that occurred in a hospital in West Bengal in which two people were killed after being caught in a stampede.
Express surveyed a few government hospitals here to examine the fire security measures. Of the three hospitals--Niloufer Hospital in Lakdikapul, MNJ Cancer Hospital in Nampally and Modern Government Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj--none of the establishments fully adhered to the fire safety norms.
For instance, Niloufer Hospital, which is more than five decades old, houses more than 1,200 patients spread across 550 beds at any point of time. When asked about evacuation plans in the event of a disaster, Dr C Renuka Chary, one of the resident medical officers, said, “There are no written plans. We have a team of around 40-50 people to ensure the safety of patients. We have CCTV cameras installed everywhere.”
“The new building has been inspected by the fire department. Without their consent hospitals cannot be allowed to function,” he added.
When the same question was put across to an attender at the hospital, he was caught unawares. The entire campus has around six fire extinguishers-two in the premature babies unit and one each in gynaecology unit, gynaecology ward, neonatal intensive care unit and paediatric unit. The labour unit was found sans fire safety equipment.
Down the same road is MNJ Cancer Hospital founded in 1955. It treats more than 500 patients on a regular basis. “The fire department has identified more than 26 spots for the fire extinguishers to be installed,” said M institute’s director Jayalatha.
“All of them will be installed within six months,” she added. At the Modern Government Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj, a comparatively new building, hosereels and nozzles at four important points in the hospital premises were missing. In the event of a fire accident, the valves installed would not be readily usable to douse off the fire since the reels and nozzle are missing.