Patna, June 4 (IANS) Bihar’s Fire Services and Home Guards Director General Shobha Ahotkar on Thursday warned that both private and government hospitals, as well as hotels that do not comply with the fire safety norms, will be sealed.
The DG also highlighted that private hospitals across the state have been asked to submit an ‘electrical load analysis’ certificate within a week.
Her announcement came after at least five patients died in a tragic fire at Prasad Hospital in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, with more than 15 patients injured.
Talking to IANS, Ahotkar said: “As soon as we received the news, all our officers and firemen reached the spot within four minutes. They successfully rescued 23 patients from the ICU ward. Since it was an ICU, most of the patients were on a ventilator and oxygen support.”
She blamed the negligence of the hospital staff for the deaths. “The hospital staff ran away as soon as the fire broke out, due to which those patients died due to smoke inhalation,” she said.
She maintained that no patient suffered burn injuries.
Ahotkar said that the concerned hospital’s fire audit was carried out last year in November. “We have to check how much compliance has been followed by them.”
“Around 7,500 fire audits of both private and government hospitals have already been conducted. We have sent notices to seal some hospitals and hotels that have not complied. They have been given some time within which, if they don’t comply, the properties will be sealed.”
The Fire Services DG mentioned that owners of all private hospitals in Bihar have been instructed to submit a certificate of ‘electrical load analysis’ within a week. “Action will be taken against those who don’t comply,” she asserted.
Describing some of the instructions given during fire audits at hospitals, Ahotkar said: “Especially in ICU wards, sprinkler units have to be installed, fire extinguishers have to be installed wherever needed, and all other equipment for firefighting has to be mandatorily installed. We keep giving all these instructions to them.”
She added that the government’s electrical engineers accompany the fire audit teams. “Since short circuit is the main reason, that is why we are asking hospitals to conduct load analysis themselves and submit the certificate,” she added.
Further, Ahotkar said that fire audits have also been conducted in all hotels across the state, under a campaign.
“They too will have to submit a certificate within a week about the number of LPG cylinders stored in each of the hotels. When our teams go for inspection, if they find the number of cylinders mismatched, strict action will be taken against the hotel owners,” she added.
–IANS
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