Question : Fire Safety in Hospitals

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has directed all hospitals across the country to develop fire safety action plans to conduct fire drills quarterly to ensure proper functioning of fire fighting equipments as well as emergency exits etc.;

(b) if so, the details thereof and to what extent hospitals across the country have installed fire safety equipments;

(c) the details of fires incidents reported in various hospitals during 2016 and assistance provided by the Government to hospitals directly; and

(d) the mechanism in place to monitor the fire safety norms in various hospitals across the country?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

(a) to (d): In the aftermath of unfortunate fire incident in a private hospital in Odisha, State Governments have been requested to get fire safety audit conducted immediately of all public health facilities beginning with District hospitals and medical colleges by appropriate government bodies or authorized enlisted agencies. They have also been advised that hospital staff must also be trained in safety protocol and emergency response and management. As health is a State subject, information regarding installation of fire safety equipments and number of fire incidents in the Hospital is not maintained centrally.

As far as Central Government Hospitals in Delhi viz. Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. RML Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals are concerned, there are no reports of major fire incidents in Safdarjung and Lady Haringe Medical College (LHMC) & Associated Hospitals. However, two fire incidents took place in (i) New OT on 20.8.2016 and (ii) Microbiology Department on 24.1.2017 in Dr. RML Hospital. No loss of life has been reported due to these fire incidents.