Inspect hospitals to prevent fires, Home Ministry tells states, UTs

With a rise in fire incidents inside Covid hospitals amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Centre on Wednesday told states and Union territories to get internal wirings of all hospitals examined and ensure availability of functional safety equipment as per fire safety guidelines.

As many as 93 people, most of them Covid patients, have died in 24 incidents of fire in hospitals across India since last August. “The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has drawn the attention of state and Union Territory governments towards the occurrence of fire incidents, caused by short-circuiting, in hospitals and nursing homes in the recent past,” an MHA statement said.

The concern was raised in a communication sent by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to all States and UTs on Wednesday. It said that in view of the impending summer season it needs to be highlighted that short circuits are taking place either due to high temperature, lack of maintenance or high load on the internal wirings, leading to fire incidents and consequential loss of life and essential infrastructure.

The communication states that care should be taken to put in place a plan of action, to ensure that no fire occurs in any of the health facilities (particularly Covid dedicated facilities) in the government and private sector.