No fire safety plan exists in Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, which is state’s biggest government-run medical facility. It is more than one year when fire broke out in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Life of as many as 47 newborns was in danger when major fire broke out in hospital on November 23, 2017.
Later, a petition was also filed after which state medical education department told court that it has prepared a plan for fire safety in the hospital on which Rs 1.68 crore would be spent. However, state government has not sanctioned the amount though one year has passed.
Hearing the petition on March 1 this year, the court directed the department to sanction the money in four weeks and start work at earliest failing which department principal secretary and other officials will have to appear in the court. Hospital superintendent Dr PS Thakur said a decision to this effect will be taken at department level. “We will act as per directions,” he said.
Sources said public works department has prepared the plan and department has sanctioned the amount but not released it to hospital. After fire incident at ICU, minor fire incidents took place in the hospital including in OPD’s canteen. But no corrective measures were taken.