NEW DELHI: The fire mishap at AIIMS on Monday, which endangered lives of patients in the emergency and gastroenterology wards, has put a question mark on the fire safety measures in the hospital, as the incident has happened barely three days after the authorities had directed for a third party audit of its safety systems in the institute.
Though the institute authorities claimed that an audit is underway, as the directions were issued only on Aug 3, the union home ministry has been emphasizing since 2020 that all hospitals should ensure strict compliance of fire safety measures as stipulated under the act either by fire officers or third party safety auditors.
According to the order issued on August 3 by Professor in-charge (security) Dr SS Kale stated that the decision for a third party audit has been taken as per the national guidelines for fire safety in health care facilities issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The union government had directed that “hospital shall undertake a comprehensive fire safety audit involving a 3rd party.
The decision for conducting the audit was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the director. The order further stated that “The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), one of the suggested organisations by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, had agreed to conduct the third-party fire safety audit, and the same has already started.”
While the AIIMS’s media cell had no information about the date of the directions issued by the union ministry, which were referred to in the meeting chaired by the Director, sources said that Ministry of home affairs had issued an order related to fire incidents in hospital/nursing homes in 2020 in which they had mentioned that “regular inspection and re-inspection of hospitals/nursing homes should be carried out to ensure strict compliance on the implementation of fire safety measures as stipulated in various Act and codes either by fire officers or third party fire safety auditor.”
Sources said though luckily no casualties or physical harm was reported in Monday’s fire, the damage caused by it had led to the suspension of endoscopy, emergency and diagnostics services in the old OPD building. Officials however, claimed that “emergency services are in the process of being restored soon”.
