State-run hospitals to get Rs 217 crore fire-safety gear: Maharashtra Health minister – ET HealthWorld

AHMEDNAGAR: The state government will spend Rs 217 crore to install fire-fighting equipment in more than 500 government-managed hospitals, said state health minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday.

Rajesh Tope was in Ahmednagar to take stock of the fire incident at the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital that claimed lives of 11 people, including four women.

Speaking to reporters Tope said, “CM Uddhav Thackeray held a 90-minute video conference with me and other senior health officials following the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital fire. Fire safety audit of all the 500-plus government-run hospitals has been done, and the PWD has been approached for further works.”

“However, the process of getting the technical sanctions, administrative approval and the final funding takes time,” he added. Tope said Thackeray has taken serious note of the matter and has assured that the required funds for setting up the fire-fighting equipment will be provided. The meeting also discussed the appointment of a fire officer for every district. This officer would look after the things necessary for fire safety at the government hospitals.

Further, it was also decided that other remedial measures — like using fire-resistant material in the ICUs, 24×7 screening of ICUs and effective training on disaster management for the staff — will be taken.

Talking of the ICU patients who died in the fire, Tope said most of the victims died due to ‘suffocation’ and some succumbed to burns. The ex gratia announced by the state government would be given to the victims’ relatives by Monday, Tope added.

The health minister visited the ward where the incident took place and spoke to the officials and employees to understand what had happened. He said the nurses in the ward had tried their best to douse the fire. The fire extinguishers were used, but as the volume of smoke increased, the visibility reduced and the staffers became helpless until the fire brigade arrived.