Medical colleges across state told to conduct fire safety audits regularly

KOLKATA: State Health department has directed the principals of all medical colleges in Bengal and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoH) in all the districts to conduct fire safety audits regularly.

A new order issued by the Health department said that hospital-level fire safety mechanisms have to be activated to take an optimum level of precautionary measures and also to ensure joint inspections fortnightly.The committee will closely monitor the functionality of fire safety measures; check if the fire safety norms are followed in the vulnerable points.A meeting was recently held at Swasthya Bhawan with various stakeholders in this connection. Necessary instructions were given to various superintendents.

The committee will identify the loopholes in the firefighting mechanism in the hospitals.

It will send recommendations to the state Health department suggesting remedial measures in this regard. The committee may also recommend corrective measures that ought to be taken in the hospitals.The order said that quick completion of all ongoing works and obtaining or renewing fire safety certificates for completed works must be done on time.

The recommendations from the appropriate authorities of the Fire and Emergency Services department have to be followed.Action taken reports in the prescribed format must be sent to the hospital administration branch of the Health department.

Earlier, the state Fire and Emergency Services department had recommended a slew of preventive measures to the state Health department to prevent fire at the hospitals.

Incidentally, fire safety awareness campaigns are being undertaken at various shopping malls, hospitals and office buildings to make people aware so that fire safety norms are properly followed.The Fire and Emergency Services department holds demonstrations in various places from time to time.