Nayagarh: Notwithstanding the fact that major fire mishaps have claimed several lives at Bhubaneswar-based SUM hospital and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, private hospitals in the state are yet to take necessary fire safety measures.
A case in point is the private hospitals and nursing homes in Nayagarh district that are functioning without any active fire protection system.
The matter came to the fore after Bhubaneswar fire brigade personnel and Nayagarh district fire brigade conducted surprise raids at several private nursing homes in the district recently. The raids were conducted following directives from DGP Rajendra Prasad Sharma.
The first raid was conducted at Raja Bagicha-based Rashmi Hospital. A 10-member team found the three fire extinguishers at the premises to be defunct, while many employees were unaware of how extinguishers are used. The team also checked the various documents of the hospital before leaving.
Similarly, the team conducted simultaneous raids at Pramila Hospital, Matrushakti Hospital, Anand Bhawan Hospital and nine other hospitals. It found the hospitals lacking many important facilities that were a high risk to the patients. The team also called for the training of all the employees regarding the use of fire safety machines.
“Most of the hospitals were found not following safety norms. We have given them a three-month deadline to follow the guidelines. Action will be taken against the hospitals that do not follow the guidelines,” Bhubaneswar fire inspector Ramesh Chandra Majhi said, adding, regular raids will be conducted from time to time.
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