Meeting Held to Review Preparedness of Fire Safety in Health Institutions

A meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Vivek, Bharadwaj, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department in Civil Secretariat, Jammu to discuss the Fire Safety Audit report received from the Home Department, J&K along with B. Srinivas, Director General Prisons Department/Fire Services/Home Guards, Jammu & Kashmir.

The issue of the Preparedness of Fire Safety in the in all the Hospitals/Medical Colleges/Nursing Homes having Neonatal intensive care, Pediatric intensive care and special Neonatal and other Neonatal facilities for children in light of the directions of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCECR) was discussed in the meeting. Deliberations were also held to identify the gaps and for implementation of the Fire Safety Audit report.

The Hospital/Nursing homes were advised to implement the guidelines issued from time to time by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Director General of Fire Services, Command Development and Home Guards to prevent fire incidents in the Hospital/Nursing Homes. It was reiterated that the No Objection Certificates need to be issued to the Hospitals/Nursing Homes only after the Fire Safety Recommendations are fulfilled by the respective institutions. It was further decided that Short term awareness and training programmes shall be organized in coordination with the Fire Services Department and Mock Drills shall be conducted.

B. Srinivas, IPS, Director General Prisons Department/Fire Services advised all Health Institutions to ensure all necessary measures which include installation of Fire Alarm Systems, Smoke Detectors and to check any leakages of oxygen supply to the oxygen beds in the Hospitals besides ensuring other preventive measure to avoid any mishap.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Heath & Medical Education Department instructed all the HoDs to ensure that all the gaps pointed out in the Audit report of Fire Services Department shall be given top priority and no lapse shall be tolerated in the matter and the HoDs shall be personally responsible for ensuring the Fire Safety. He instructed that the institutions should go by the observations of the Fire Safety Audit Report wherein sprinkler systems in the basement of the Hospital need to be revived and ensure availability of sufficient underground water reservoir for any exigency besides taking other corrective measures to fill the gaps.

The Heads of Departments reported that considerable improvement has been achieved in the matter and assured the ACS, H&ME that instructions shall be adhered in letter and spirit.

Senior Officers of the Health and Medical Education Department including Mission Director, National Health Mission, Director General, Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, Commissioner, FDA, Principals of all Medical Colleges, Managing Director, Medical Supplies Corporation, Project Director, AIDS Control Society, Director, AYUSH, Directors of Health Services, Kashmir/Jammu participated in the meeting.