Bhubaneswar: After facing flak for ordering the fire safety audit of only government hospitals following the SUM Hospital tragedy, the state government Thursday said collectors have been instructed to check private health institutes also within a month.
“Licence of those who fail to adhere to fire safety norms will be cancelled,” said revenue divisional commissioner AB Ota. Ota, who is probing the SUM fire incident, said the investigation will be completed within 15 days.
Just two days back the chief secretary had directed collectors to conduct audit of fire safety and electricity installations at government hospitals inviting severe criticism from opposition parties.
Meanwhile, promising stringent action against those responsible for the SUM accident, the government Thursday said the Orissa Clinical Establishment Act will be strongly implanted to avoid a repeat of such mishaps.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on his return from Delhi Thursday evening reiterated that “stringent action will be taken against the guilty in the fire mishap”.
“We have passed the Orissa Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016. There is a provision for penalty up to `50 lakh and 6-month jail term for violators,” said health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
The minster admitted that “there was lapse in the fire safety measures at SUM and action will be taken as per the provisions of the law”.
Nayak, who has been accused by opposition parties of shielding SUM Hospital owner Manoj Nayak, said, “Police have arrested five officials including the hospital owner on the basis of FIR by fire service department.”
Congress leader and former MP Pradeep Majhi demanded the health minister’s resignation. The BJP, too, gunned for Atanu.
“If the health minister does not perform his job properly, then the accountability lies with the chief minister. Both the health minister and the chief minister have to either perform or step down,” state BJP general secretary Prithwiraj Harichandan said.
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Sashibhusan Behera said Naveen Patnaik will act against anyone found involved in irregularities.
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