Bihar’s Fire Services and Home Guards Director General Shobha Ahotkar issued a warning on Thursday, stating that both private and government hospitals, along with hotels, face closure if they fail to adhere to fire safety regulations. She emphasized that private hospitals in the state must provide an ‘electrical load analysis’ certificate within a week. This caution follows a tragic incident at Prasad Hospital in Muzaffarpur, where five patients lost their lives in a fire, leaving over 15 others injured.
Ahotkar revealed that immediate action was taken by fire officials upon receiving the news, with 23 patients successfully rescued from the ICU ward. She attributed the patient deaths to the hospital staff’s negligence, noting that they fled when the fire erupted, causing fatalities due to smoke inhalation. Despite the severity of the situation, she clarified that no patients sustained burn injuries.
The Fire Services DG disclosed that a fire audit had been conducted at the concerned hospital in November last year, and the level of compliance is under scrutiny. Over 7,500 fire audits have been completed at various hospitals, leading to warnings of closure for those failing to meet safety standards. Private hospital owners in Bihar have been directed to furnish an ‘electrical load analysis’ certificate promptly, with non-compliance resulting in punitive measures.
Ahotkar outlined the essential safety measures required during hospital fire audits, such as installing sprinkler units in ICU wards, placing fire extinguishers strategically, and ensuring the availability of firefighting equipment. She stressed the collaboration of government electrical engineers during audits to address electrical issues, including conducting load analyses to prevent short circuits. Additionally, fire audits have been conducted at hotels statewide, with owners mandated to submit LPG cylinder inventory reports within a week to avoid penalties for discrepancies.
