Hyderabad: A survey found that hospitals in Hyderabad lack proper fire safety measures. Authorities of the hospitals are ignoring the National Building Code, GoMs 168.
Hyderabad hospitals functioning in residential buildings
There are around 950 hospitals located in the GHMC area. Some of them are functioning in residential buildings.
The survey was conducted after the fire accident that had taken place in a children’s hospital in the city. In the accident, a three-month-old baby had died and four other babies in the neonatal intensive care unit had suffered injuries.
Ahmedabad incident
After the fire incident at Ahmedabad’s Shrey Hospital that claimed the lives of eight COVID patients, Telangana Government reviewed the fire safety measures in private and government hospitals located in Greater Hyderabad. It is found that the arrangements to ensure the safety of patients in case of a fire accident are missing in these hospitals.
Corporate hospitals in Hyderabad
It is also found that even corporate hospitals are not following fire safety norms properly. Ramps are also missing in some of the hospitals in Hyderabad.
As per safety norms, there must be an arrangement of emergency lighting on stairs. It also made it mandatory for hospitals to ensure the availability of 4.5-meter space around the hospital for the movement of fire engines in case of a fire accident.