Fire Safety Inspection within a week

CHENNAI: Hospitals that have managed to remain operational with a no objection certificate from the Fire Service Department would soon feel the heat. Within a week, all major government and private hospitals in the State, including super speciality and medical college hospitals, would be inspected for their fire fighting preparedness, reads a communique issued by Bholanath, DGP of Fire and Rescue Services, to firemen across the State on December 10.Following the recent fire tragedy in a hospital in Kolkata, Express (issue dated December 14, 2011), had reported about various hospitals that have been functioning without proper NOCs. The way Kumbakonam school fire of 2004 prompted annual inspection of schools for fire safety in TN, the recent fire tragedy in a private hospital in Kolkata has led to this inspection of all major hospitals in the State. Especially, becauseTamil Nadu is considered a premium healthcare destination.  While even theatres in the State have been subject to annual inspection by firemen for their preparedness for a fire accident, hospitals were given a free hand, with inspections being conducted only on the hospital’s insistence. “The hospitals that sought a fire licence after the original No Objection Certificate was issued before construction, did so mostly because they wanted accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. This accreditation required them to have a fire licence, for which they would approach us,” said a senior fire service official, on condition of anonymity. These licences were then issued for one year.  Now, however, after these inspections, it is expected that the hospitals in the State will be monitored by the Fire Department on a more regular basis. As part of the fire safety ensuring process to be conducted now, all fire divisional officers and deputy directors across the State have been pressed into service to inspect the major hospitals and prepare an inspection report about their fire safety norms within a week. The report has to be compiled with reference to fire safety norms of National Building Code of India (2005), and after verifying approved plans by competent authorities.