KOCHI: High patient load and efforts to scale up facilities in hospitals to fight the pandemic has stressed the hospital system, thereby making it more vulnerable to fire accidents. With the vulnerability of hospitals to fire outbreaks increasing, a fire audit was conducted by the Fire and Rescue Services Department in 589 hospitals across the state, of which 226 failed to meet the safety parameters. As many as 243 hospitals were found to be functioning without a no-objection certificate from the department.
In view of the vulnerability of the hospitals, especially during the current pandemic, a fire audit was conducted from May till July 16 by the department officials in all districts across the state.
Fire department authorities say Thiruvananthapuran has the most number of hospitals with safety issues and 14 have been found to be functioning without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department. While Palakkad district has the most number of hospitals functioning without the NOC, no fire safety issues were noticed. In Ernakulam, 2 hospitals were found to be functioning without NOC and five with safety issues.
Fire Director (Technical) M Noushad said due to the ongoing pandemic situation, the vulnerability of hospitals to fire outbreaks has also increased as the facilities in hospitals are stretched way too thin.
“Increased use of alcohol-based sanitisers and hospitals stocking up the medical oxygen in excess to meet exigencies have also made hospitals vulnerable to fire outbreaks. The audit revealed that many of the hospitals in the state lacked fire safety measures. Other factors such as increased electrical load on life-saving electrical equipment and lack of sufficient ventilation in hospitals were also observed during the audit,” said Noushad.
He also added that the hospitals examined during the audit were immediately asked to update its fire safety measures and also train its staff in the safe handling of oxygen. “Even an increase to 24% or more in the oxygen level in the air increases chances of a fire, which can eventually turn fiercer.