Civil Hospital running sans fire NOC for past five years

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, September 4

The Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, which receives approximately 3,000 visitors daily, is functioning without no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department. The 200-bed hospital is putting the lives of the people in danger since 2018. The NOC has to be renewed every year but the hospital is lacking the required fire fighting arrangements on its premises due to which the certificate has not been renewed for the past five years.

Project to install fire fighting system hangs fire

The project for installing fire fighting and fire detection system is hanging fire for the past five years. Supposed to be completed in 2019, it was left in between by the executing agency. As a result, the hospital has failed to receive the NOC so far. Finally, the contractor who was allotted the tender has been brought to book by the Health Department and hopefully, the work to complete the project will start soon.

The project for installing the fire fighting and fire detection system is hanging fire for the past five years and any untoward incident can put the lives of thousands of people in danger. The project that was supposed to be completed in 2019 was left in between by the executing agency. As a result, the hospital has failed to receive the NOC so far. Finally, the contractor who was allotted the tender has been brought to book by the Health Department and hopefully, the work to complete the project will start soon.

In 2018, a minor fire incident occurred in the hospital and it took an hour to douse the flames. But thankfully no major loss was reported. In January 2020, a fire audit was held at the hospital and its management was asked to make a few changes related to fire safety, according to the National Building Code, 2016, but the work remains pending till date.

PHSC’s sub-divisional officer Sukhwant Singh said they had contacted the contractor multiple times and also written to him in the past. Recently, he had visited the office and was asked to complete the work. “We are hopeful the work will start soon,” he said.

Maninder Singh, sub-fire officer, said the Civil Hospital lacks fire safety licence and the same had to be renewed every year for which they had to seek NOC from the Fire Department.

“Earlier, the certificate was applied manually but now, it has to be done online. We have got no request for the NOC, which is renewed every year. Firstly, the hospital site will be visited to see if all arrangements are in place. Only then, the NOC will be issued,” he said. Senior Medical Officer Mandeep Kaur could not be contacted for comments.

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