Bhopal: BMC submits fire audit report to CMHO City’s 193 hospitals lack fire safety measures

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): City’s 193 hospitals do not have proper fire safety equipment. This was revealed during fire audit conducted by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), which has submitted its report to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO).

On August 1, the fire that broke out in New Life hospital in Jabalpur had claimed eight lives. After this, civic bodies conducted fire audit in their areas.

“We had constituted four teams for fire audit and they found lacunae in 193 hospitals in the state capital. It is up to CMHO to take action as we have submitted report,” additional municipal commissioner Kamlendra Singh Parihar told Free Press.

“Most hospitals have same passage for entry and exit. But main thing is lack of awareness. Hospitals staff should be trained and made aware about measures to be taken if fire breaks out in hospital,” he added.

All the equipment were checked during the audit. At many hospitals, open wires were found laid above false ceiling. As hospitals consume high voltage electricity, open wires melt. Being above the ceiling, they are not visible. Hospital staff come to know only when fire flares up.

“In most hospitals, there is no sprinkler system in basement, no manually operated electric fire alarm, not much water to extinguish the fire, no protection in front of electricity meters, insufficient numbers of fire extinguishers, no fire exit,” Parihar added.

The entry way to the hospital is very small, there is no smoke detector, fire safety arrangements are inadequate. Fire NOC was not found. Fire panel was found closed at many hospitals.