770 hospitals, nursing homes in Bengaluru warned for lack of fire safety measures
After the fire tragedy at SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar, the Fire and Emergency Services Department started checking fire safety arrangements in hospitals in the city
By ET Bureau |
PTI
In the recent SUM Hospital fire tragedy in Bhubaneswar, 22 lives were lost.
BENGALURU: The Fire and Emergency Services Department has issued an ultimatum to as many as 770 hospitals and nursing homes in the city to comply with fire safety measures.
This follows a direction by DGP (fire and emergency services) MN Reddi to his officers to inspect hospitals and issue notices to those violating fire safety measures. The exercise itself was taken up after the fire tragedy at SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar that claimed 22 lives recently.
Deputy director (fire prevention) NR Markandeya confirmed that officers inspected 770 hospitals in Bengaluru alone. “We are going to issue directions to them under the National Building Code of India (NBC) which prescribes fire safety measures in accordance with the building plans. We have asked them to comply with the measures within three months,“ he said.
According to law, building owners who failed to adopt safety measures will have their power disconnected and their buildings sealed, Markandeya cautioned.
Criminal charges would be filed against those who violate safety norms after receiving the no-objection certificate, he added. “Taking note of the failures that caused the Bhubaneswar fire tragedy , we will conduct awareness programmes for the staff of medical institutions on how they have to act during fire accidents. This is particularly necessary because it is difficult to shift the patients in the ICU, operation theatres or dialysis units,“ said the officer.
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