HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department has directed station fire officers to carry out a two-day inspection drive at all hospitals and Covid Care Centres.
The officials are on high alert in the wake of the fire accident that devoured 11 Covid-19 patients in Vijayawada recently. Though the department had alerted the staff to conduct random inspections at hospitals after the Ahmedabad fire mishap on August 8, which killed eight persons, the personnel are hesitant to enter the Covid hotspots, C Lakshmi Prasad, Director (FAC) of the Fire Department, said. “Director General Sanjay Kumar has directed us to strictly comply with the orders,” he said.
The inspection drive will focus on private hospitals and newly emerged Covid Care Centres, Hyderabad District Fire Officer M Srinivas Reddy said. If anyone is found violating the norms, the department will prosecute them in the court of law, he said. “We are aware of the firefighting equipment in government hospitals as we regularly check their status. We will check if the Covid Care Centres have the facilities to evacuate patients in case of a fire,” Srinivas Reddy said.
Covid Care Centres being run in star hotels may have fire NOCs and firefighting equipment but those in health care units need to take extra safety arrangements, he said.