With a few instances of fire at hospitals in some States claiming lives of COVID-19 patients, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao issued directions to review status of fire safety measures at government and private hospitals. On Friday, 15 COVID-19 patients died in a fire in ICU of a hospital in Virar, near Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Currently, most of the hospitals are filled with coronavirus patients. He instructed Health Minister Eatala Rajender to take measures to avoid fire. Fire engines should be placed at Gandhi Hospital and Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS).
Gandhi Hospital, which is one of the major government hospitals where COVID patients are admitted, do not have required fire safety measures. The issue was highlighted from the past many years. It was latest published in January of this year when a minor fire occurred there. Hose reels and fire extinguishers are missing.
In case of TIMS, officials said that there were sufficient measures. Fire safety personnel are posted near Liquid Oxygen Tank and manifold which are starting points for distribution of oxygen. Scores of private hospitals in Hyderabad still lack the measures.
The CM further directed Health Minister to use the oxygen, being procured from other States, at government and private hospitals which need it, and to get more COVID-19 testing kits.
