Over 50 hospitals, schools lack fire safety

Ramkrishan Upadhyay   

 Tribune News Service   

Chandigarh, July 22   

Over 50 hospitals and schools  are on the  radar of the Fire  Department  after inspection teams found lack of the  mandatory  fire  safety arrangements in the  buildings.   

Sources said the department had   now started  sending notices to them to remove the shortcomings or face action as per law.

Anil Kumar  Garg, Chief Fire Officer of the MC, said the hospital and school  authorities  had been asked to complete the fire safety arrangements on their premises at the  earliest. 

Fire brigade officials would inspect the site again  to check  whether the arrangements were in place or not.  In case  it was found that the arrangements  had not  been made, action, including sealing of the buildings, would be  taken against the defaulters.

He said teams had inspected 21  hospitals, both government and private.  Besides, 31 government schools were also checked in a drive concluded recently.   

The hospitals which were checked  included  the GMCH, Sector 32,  the Civil Hospital, Sector  22, and the civil dispensaries at Ram Darbar, Sector 49, Sector 45, Sarangpur, Sector 29, Sector 46, Sector 47 and Sector 11. The private  hospitals  which  were checked  included Mukut Hospital, Dogra  Nursing  Home, Santokh Hospital, Sector 38,  Healing Hospital, Sector 34,  and Arya  Hospital,  Mani Majra.     

The schools which were checked included all government high and senior secondary schools, Aurobindo School, Sector 27,    Guru  Teg Bahadur Public School, Sector 15,    RIMT World School, Mani Majra  and  Gyandeep Smart School, Sector  20.  

Among the major shortcomings  found in the buildings   were lack of proper ramps, emergency doors, safe zones, fire hydrants and water storage system. At Gyandeep Smart School, the  inspection team found that the hose reel  installed  in the  building  was not working and exit signboards  were not found illuminated. 

Similarly, at the government school in Khuda  Ali Sher, the hose reel,  fire alarm system and emergency exit system  were not found working.  Seven  shortcomings, including missing first aid, hose reel, fire alarm system and pumping machinery, were found at the dispensary in Sarnagpur.

Schools inspected

• All government high and senior secondary schools
• Aurobindo School, Sector 27
• Guru Teg Bahadur Public School, Sector 15
• RIMT World School, Mani Majra
• Gyandeep Smart School, Sector 20

Hospitals checked

• GMCH, Sector 32
• Civil Hospital, Sector  22
• Civil dispensaries at Ram Darbar, Sector 49, Sector 45, Sarangpur, Sector 29, Sector 46, Sector 47 and Sector 11

Private ones

• Mukut Hospital
• Dogra Nursing Home
• Santokh Hospital, Sector 38
• Healing Hospital, Sector 34
• Arya Hospital, Mani Majra