Odisha govt sets 15-day deadline for fire safety inspection in hospitals

Business Standard

06-05-2025

The Odisha government has asked officials to complete the fire safety inspection of government-run healthcare facilities in their respective areas in 15 days in the wake of fire incidents in some government and private hospitals during the past few months.Health and Family Welfare Secretary Aswathy S issued the instructions to fire officers, electrical inspectors, engineers of the roads and building department, and chief medical and public health officers during a meeting held last evening, a health department official said on Tuesday.ALSO READ: US labour dept to end mental health, child care benefits for own staffDuring the meeting, Aswathy directed the officials to prioritise operation theatres (OTs), intensive care units (ICUs), special newborn care units (SNCUs), and heavy power load installations such as CT scan or MRI machines which are more prone to electrical incidents.She also directed to ensure proper and safe connections of the generators with the electrical wiring system in the buildings to prevent any possible short circuits.ALSO READ: Study finds men more likely to fall sick, die from 3 common health issuesIn the meeting it was decided to include fire safety structures right from the beginning or at the hospital building planning stage so that no structural retrofitting would be required for fire safety after completion of construction works, the officer said.Further, the joint committees of fire officers, electrical inspectors, the engineers of the roads and building department, and chief medical and public health officers were asked to conduct field level inspection, identify the fire-safety gaps and submit a detailed list of the required corrective measures with estimated plans within 15 days, he said.The districts were asked to take all corrective measures according to the parameters required to get electrical safety and fire safety certificates.ALSO READ: Delhi Cabinet approves three health reforms, including OPD outsourcingThe official said that the state government has kept a provision of around Rs 300 crore to ensure fire safety in government health institutions.The health secretary assured that necessary funds would be provided to all the districts according to their corrective plan. They were asked to complete their work in a time-bound manner.She also directed the officials to continue conducting mock fire drills in coordination with local fire officers at regular intervals, conduct review meetings with different stakeholders, and ensure timely maintenance of electrical and fire safety equipment.The state-level joint team was advised to closely monitor the progress of the works through field visits.