PGIMER to implement fire safety audit suggestions for 4 buildings
Chandigarh, April 1
The PGIMER authorities convened a meeting with doctors to address the recurring fire incidents plaguing the institute. It was decided that the Deputy Director of Administration would conduct biweekly meetings to ensure the implementation of recommendations provided by the audit team from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) for fire safety.
In 2018-19, the CBRI was tasked with auditing PGIMER buildings for fire safety. Four buildings were audited then.
During the meeting, it was emphasised that the remaining 10 buildings should be swiftly audited by the CBRI, Roorkee, to identify any deficiencies.
The Deputy Director of Administration, Pankaj Rai, stressed the urgency, citing five incidents since October. Rai highlighted the need to identify the root cause of these incidents and expedite the audit process. Additionally, he announced the implementation of suggestions from previous audits and monitoring the progress every two weeks.
On Saturday, a fire incident at the Advanced Cardiac Centre (ACC) disrupted a surgery, leading to the immediate evacuation and relocation of a 70-year-old patient. The incident was triggered by a spark in a pendant socket and augmented by manifold line.
In the aftermath of the previous fire incident in October, the institute had decided to plan centralising UPS (uninterruptible power supply) units outside the buildings to prevent mishaps in patient areas.
