LD, CD hospitals most vulnerable
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Mar 8: Almost all the tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar lack the necessary fire fighting mechanism while a few of them have been declared as “highly vulnerable” to the fire incidents even as despite the Fire Safety Audit carried out recently, the authorities have failed in implementing the recommendations made in this regard.
As per the Fire Safety Audit carried out in June 2021 by the Fire & Emergency Department on the request of the Principal Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, the details of which are lying with Excelsior, Chest Disease Hospital and Lal Ded Hospital have been declared as most vulnerable structures.
The details suggest that at Chest Diseases Hospital, there is nothing in place in the name of fire safety measures. With the structure mostly made of wood, the hospital has been tagged as highly vulnerable. The audit has noted that the means of exit at the hospital are also wooden while as in the TB block, the available hose reels are also lying defunct.
Further, the audit has noted that there are just a few extinguishers available at the hospital while as for fire safety, no substantial equipments have been installed at the hospital. “There is no safety mechanism in place at the hospital, thus highly vulnerable,” the audit states.
With regard to the Bone & Joint Hospital, Barzulla, the audit has noted that there are only 6 extinguishers available at the hospital to deal with the fire emergency even as the hospital also lacks hose reels the fire alarm system.
As per the audit, the hospital authorities have stated that the building is set to be demolished as the same has been declared unsafe by the R&B Department after the 2014 floods, indicating that they might not install the necessary fire safety mechanism at the hospital anytime soon.
“The road leading to the hospital also remained jam-packed and there is a need for the widening of the same,” the audit noted.
About the new building that is being constructed for the hospital, the Fire Department has sent the recommendations to the authorities for the installation of the necessary equipment before making the same operational.
Excelsior has learned that the copy of the recommendations has been sent to the Principal GMC Srinagar as well as the respective Medical Superintendents of the hospitals under audit.
In the case of the Lal Ded Hospital, the audit report said that while the maximum fire fighting equipment are in place, the necessary water supply has remained affected due to the damaged pump house due to the excavation for the construction of a new hospital building.
The report also stated that there are 20 yard-hydrants installed at the hospital, however, the same are not operational due to the damage caused due to the excavation.
The Fire Safety Audit report has termed the hospital highly vulnerable while stating that despite spending huge money on the fire fighting mechanism, the same has not been kept operational to deal with any emergency.
The audit has pointed out that with Jhelum in the vicinity, there is a need for creating an access way up to the river without any delay to deal with any sort of emergency.
Further, at the Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (IMHANS), Rainwari, the audit stated that there is nothing in place in the name of fire safety mechanism apart from manually operated fire alarm system as well as smoke detectors which are without a panel.
At G.B. Panth Hospital, the fire safety audit report notes that maximum fire fighting mechanism in place while as the installation of Zone Specific Monitoring panel at the hospital has been recommended.
Concerning SHMS, 260 extinguishers are installed at different spots in the hospital along with a manually operated fire alarm system.
“There is nothing in place at SHMS apart from the mentioned equipment while as at Super Speciality Hospital, all the requirements are in place,” the report states.
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