It was hardly two months ago, the staffs of the ESIC Kamgar hospital in Andheri East were trained to use a fire extinguisher. However, the fire extinguishers were not given to the hospital. They were lying in store room gathering dust.
Hospital staffs who rescued many patients after a fire broke out on Monday afternoon could have prevented the fire from spreading.
Around 50 new fire extinguishers that were to be installed at various locations of the hospital. The new fire extinguishers, though, were provided to the hospital but were never installed.
Unfortunately, the fire also broke out at the same place where the fire extinguishers were being stored. "The renovation work in the hospital is going on for quite some time. Work on centralised air-conditioning was also going on. A part of the hospital which was centralised was already occupied while work on the other part was going on. The fire extinguishers were supposed to be installed in days to come," said a hospital official, requesting anonymity.
Another staff of the hospital said that these fire extinguishers were also to be installed in the new building. "The officials took construction work of the building very lightly. It is being renovated for the last 9 years. Looking at the pace of the work, it does not seem that it will be completed anytime soon," he said.