Breaking out of fire in one of the wards of the Government Medical College, Jammu is a serious matter. Fire in a hospital is very dangerous accident to happen because lives of hundreds of patients, attendants and the staff are involved. Smallest negligence can become the cause of a horrendous disaster. First of all serious enquiry should be made in the cause of the fire and preventive measures will have to be taken accordingly. Our hospitals are crowded places and little control is exercised by authorities to avoid unnecessary crowding of the place. There are many lapses on the part of security personnel engaged in the hospital. Preliminary reports say that the fire was caused by a burning cigarette bit thrown by somebody attending on a patient. Smoking is strictly prohibited in the hospital premises but has anyone been caught and fined for breaking the rule? It is the duty of the guards to make rounds regularly and see if anybody is smoking he is picked up and dealt with under law.
Apart from accidents like fire, a hospital also needs strict vigilance over the crowds of people who come as wards and family members of the patients. The hospitals need to be protected against criminals and miscreants. The guards have the duty to keep a strict vigil on people coming in and out. In fact there should be an identity check at the entrance gate for everybody desiring to enter the hospital premises or the wards. There has to be electronic check also. The fire in GMC is a warning and the medical authorities should take serious measures to counter any such incident in future.
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