The incident at Jhansi Medical College should not be repeated. All hospitals should have adequate means to fight fires. Drills should be conducted from time to time. The equipment should be checked periodically. Every day, the doctor and his team of experts visit the hospital facilities. Those who commit negligence will not be saved. These instructions were given by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak at the meeting of senior officials of the Health Department held on Monday. He said the harrowing Jhansi incident should not be repeated.
He further said that the government is completely with the families of the victims. They are being given all possible help. The deputy CM told the meeting that fire safety audits should be carried out from time to time in the hospital premises. Electrical wiring should be checked periodically. It is also worth seeing the hydrant pipes. He said that in case of fire, when the power is cut, it becomes dark. To solve this, it is advisable to install emergency battery lights.
Trained employees must be deployed
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said healthcare workers trained by the fire department should be deployed in IT, ICU and NICU in shifts of eight hours each. There must be adequate arrangements for entry and exit from these rooms. Have an exhaust fan to remove smoke. There should be absolutely no scrap metal on the hospital premises. Garbage must be removed immediately.
There should be resources at CHC-PHC too
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak directed that apart from district hospitals and medical colleges, CHC-PHC should also be provided with adequate firefighting equipment. He reported that the checklist has been sent to all hospitals. Fire alarms should be checked. Information on what to do in the event of a fire outside the rooms should be recorded on the notice board. He said only government-approved equipment should be installed in the wards.
Contact private hospitals
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said private hospitals should be approached and fire safety audits and drills should be conducted there too. Providing free and high-quality health services to common people is the government’s top priority. Negligence in any direction will not be tolerated.
