Regular fire audits a must

Hospitals were set up in hurry but it cannot be an excuse

Four newborn infants perished in a deadly blaze at a special newborn care unit in the government-run Kamla Nehru Children’s Hospital in Bhopal last week. A short-circuit is believed to have set off the fire. Just days earlier, a fire broke out in the Covid-19 ward of a hospital in Ahmednagar, claiming the lives of 11 patients. Most of the victims were senior citizens. Although the health minister and district officials have claimed that a fire audit had been conducted just a few months back, Fire Force officials have said that the hospital did not have a fire-fighting system and adequate infrastructure in place. Fire accidents in hospitals are particularly distressing as patients, especially those in ICUs or on ventilator support are often unable to escape. The infants killed in the Bhopal hospital were just a few hours old. Hospital fires have occurred with alarming frequency over the last couple of years. According to one estimate, there were 24 fire incidents in hospitals between August 2020 and April 2021; most of these incidents occurred in the months of March and April when the pandemic’s second wave was gathering steam.

Hospitals are vulnerable to fire accidents as they store oxygen cylinders and have piped oxygen. Hence, a minor short circuit could set off a blaze. The reason for the spurt in hospital fires over the last couple of years could be linked to the pandemic. As the pandemic raged and the need for hospital beds soared, hospitals and clinics were set up in a hurry. It is likely that safety was not prioritised. However, this cannot be an excuse.

In response to the surge in fire accidents, the Karnataka government, on the orders of the Supreme Court, set up district committees to conduct fire audits in Covid hospitals. However, monthly audits in the state’s 33 dedicated Covid facilities are reported to have not happened. Indeed, in some hospitals, the district committee has not conducted even a single audit. In addition to taking negligent committees to task, the government must provide the hospitals with the complete firefighting infrastructure. Providing just a fire extinguisher will not do. Importantly, the government must ensure jurisdictional clarity and clearly list out responsibilities. Else, people will pass the buck. Recently, an air conditioner exploded in the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences. Fortunately, it didn’t spark a fire. However, we cannot depend on luck alone to keep us safe. Regular audits of all hospitals, both Covid and non-Covid facilities, are essential to ensure that hospitals become facilities for healing and not death traps.