Centre asks States, UTs to take up on priority review of fire prevention, response plans in health facilities - Greater Kashmir

New Delhi, Nov 18: The Centre on Monday asked all states to review and update fire prevention and response plans of all health facilities, including training of healthcare staff on safety protocols and ensuring regular maintenance of electrical circuit systems, to mitigate fire accidents in hospitals.

The letter by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava which urges all states and UTs to take up this issue on priority comes days after a fire, suspected to have been caused by an electric short-circuit, gutted a neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, killing ten infants.

States and UTs have also been requested to constitute district-level committees to undertake physical inspection of all health facilities and take suitable actions against the defaulters.

In the letter to chief secretaries of all states and UTs, the Health Secretary stressed on undertaking regular preventive fire safety drills including evacuation plans and implementation and maintenance of fire prevention measures such as regular and optimal maintenance of electrical circuits systems.

She also called for installation and optimum maintenance of fire detection and suppression systems, including smoke alarms, fire extinguishers with regular checks on expiry date, sprinklers etc.

States and UTs have also been requested to constitute district-level committees headed by district collectors comprising relevant officials from health, fire services and public works departments to undertake physical inspection of all health facilities.

Such committees may also be directed to undertake suitable actions against the defaulters, as deemed necessary under the law, Srivastava said.

Listing some of the key issues that emerged in this context, during earlier stakeholder consultations, Srivastava said that a large number of fire accidents in health facilities are attributable to electrical reasons.

She also flagged a lack of centralised database of all health facilities and issues relating to the implementation of Section 32 of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, which provides for the cancellation of registration of health facilities if there is imminent danger to the health and safety of patients.

“Despite substantive measures taken by some of the states to prevent and prepare against fire accidents in health facilities (both public and private), continued reporting of such accidents and loss of precious lives highlights the need to take up rigorous review and monitoring of fire prevention and safety protocols in all health facilities,” she said.

All states and UTs have been urged to take up this issue on priority and direct all health facilities to undertake their respective evaluations.

This letter is in continuation of the “ministry’s previous communication vide letters dated 23.03.2024: 29.05 2024: 08.06.2024: 30.07.2024 wherein state health departments were urged to review and strengthen capacities for prevention, preparedness and mitigation against fire accidents in all health facilities”.

Further, a detailed checklist on ‘Prevention and Maintenance of Fire Safety’ that may be utilised at the facility level had also been circulated to all states and UTs.