The Odisha Government has made a fiscal provision of Rs 300 crore for ensuring fire safety in government-run healthcare institutions — right from medical college hospitals to dispensaries at the village level.

State’s Health Secretary Aswathy S, who took review of the fire safety position in Government hospitals from the level of community health centers to medical college and hospitals in a high-level meeting, said “Priority has been laid to prevent fire mishaps in Operation Theaters (OTs), Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs), and heavy power load installations like CT scan/MRI machines which are more prone to electrical incidents”.

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Officials have been directed to ensure proper and safe connections of the generators with the electrical wiring system in the buildings to prevent any possible short circuit. It has been decided that henceforth, fire safety structures would be inbuilt into the hospital building plans right from the beginning so that no structural retrofitting would be required for fire safety after completion of construction, she said.

Further, the joint committees of fire officers, electrical inspectors, the engineers of roads and building department, and chief medical and public health officers were asked to complete inspection of the ground level position in Government health facilities of their respective areas; identify the fire-safety gaps; and submit detail list of the required corrective measures with estimated plans within 15 days. The districts were asked to take all corrective measures as per the parameters of electrical safety and fire safety certificates, said officials.

Necessary funds would be provided to all the districts as per their corrective plan. The hospital authorities have been asked to complete fire safety corrective steps in a time-bound manner, said Ms Aswasthy.

The Secretary also directed to continue conducting mock fire drills in coordination with local fire officers at regular intervals, conduct review meetings with different stakeholders, and ensure the timely maintenance of electrical and fire safety equipment constantly. The state-level joint team was advised to closely monitor the progress of the works through field visits.

Mission Director Dr D Brundha, Managing Director Odisha State Medical Corporation Dr Pooma Tudu, Director Medical Education and Training Dr Santosh Kumar Mishra, along with senior officers from Fire Service, Roads and Buildings, Public Health and engineering department, and Water Corporation, participated in deliberations. Special Secretary and Director Health Services Bijaya Kumar Mohapatra outlined the issues and updates on fire safety.