Only 9 hospitals have NOCs

BANGALORE: There are around 100 private hospitals functioning in high-rise buildings in Bangalore, but only nine of them have got No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Fire and Emergency Services.According to B G Chengappa, director of Fire and Emergency Services, many hospitals have not evinced interest to avail the No Objection Certificate that is mandatory as per Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s  provision enacted on October 13, 1984. “The hospitals functioning from buildings above 15 metres height have to take NOCs before commencement of the construction and clearance certificate, after completing the construction,” said Chengappa.As per the provisions of the National Building Code, hospital buildings above 30 metres are not permissible. However, this provision has been relaxed by the state government, allowing construction of hospital buildings up to 45 metres. “Many hospital managements hesitate to inform the Fire and Emergency Services about the fire mishaps in their hospitals,” he said.As far as training in handling fire extinguishers is concerned, it is mandatory for hospitals to train 40 per cent of the total occupants. “In most of the cases, security guards are sent for training to handle fire safety equipment. There are some service providers who simply change the label instead of checking the fire extinguishers periodically,” he said.