After the tragic fire at a game zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, the Nashik Municipal Corporation's (NMC) Health Department has issued reminder letters to hospitals in the city that have not conducted a fire audit. If the report is not submitted, the health department has warned that the licenses of the non-compliant hospitals will be revoked. Despite the responsibility of the fire department to issue audit orders and take action, they have so far only issued notices without taking concrete measures.
Out of 622 hospitals in the city, 247 have not submitted their fire audit reports, and the fire department has yet to cut off water and electricity connections to any of these hospitals.
Dr. Tanaji Chavan, Chief Medical Health Officer, NMC, said, "After the Rajkot Game Zone fire tragedy, the health department has sent reminder letters to hospitals that reneged on fire audits. However, in case of non-cooperation, the licenses of said hospitals will be revoked."
Hospital fires
In recent years, incidents of fires in hospitals have been increasing across the state, causing significant financial and life losses. As a result, fire audits have been made mandatory for private hospitals. Every January, the Municipal Corporation issues a fire audit notice. This year, 622 hospitals in the city were instructed to obtain a certificate from the medical department confirming that their fire prevention systems are in good condition. The deadline for submitting the report was February 18. To date, 375 hospitals have submitted their fire audit reports, while 247 hospitals have not.
The fire department issued a fifteen-day notice to the hospitals that failed to submit their reports, but many hospitals have not complied. Consequently, the fire department was expected to cut off water and electricity connections to these hospitals but has only issued further notices. However, the health department has now taken the initiative and sent reminder letters to the hospitals that have not conducted a fire audit.
