50% COVID-19 hospitals in big Guj cities sans fire NOC:HC told

Ahmedab, May 31 (PTI) Nearly half of around 1,130 COVID-19 designated hospitals across municipal corporations and municipalities in six Gujarat districts do not possess a valid fire safety NOC from local authorities, officials said in affidavits submitted in High Court on Monday.

affidavits were submitted before a Gujarat HC division bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Bhargav D Karia in connection with a PIL filed by vocate Amit Panchal on measures taken by government after fire incidents in last few months in several COVID-19 hospitals in state that caused loss of lives.

On May 1, as many as 18 people, including 16 COVID-19 patients were killed, in a devastating fire at a hospital in Bharuch town.

EightCOVID-19 patients h died in a massive fire in a private hospital in Ahmedab on August 6 last year.

Similarly, five patients were killed when a fire broke out at a private hospital in Rajkot on November 27 last year.

Hospitals and or establishments are required to obtain fire safety NOCs (no objection certificates) from competent authorities to run ir operations. NOC reflects herence to fire safety norms laid down by government.

In affidavits, regional commissioners of municipalities falling under Ahmedab,Vodara, Bhavnagar, Surat, Rajkot and Gandhinagar districts stated that re are 380 COVID-19 designated hospitals in ir respective areas that do not have valid and subsisting fire safety NOCs.

se include 93 (out of 109) hospitals in (municipalities) in Ahmedab district, 71 (out of 98) in Vodara, 36 (out of 38) in Bhavnagar, 22 (out of 39) in Surat, 123 (out of 170) in Gandhinagar and 32 in Rajkot district (which did not furnish total number of such hospitals), as per affidavits.

In six municipal corporations of Jamnagar, Junagh, Gandhingar, Vodara, Rajkot and Ahmedab (not covering municipalities), out of 673 COVID-19 designated hospitals, 178 do not have fire NOCs, officials said in ir affidavits.

Strikingly, out of 137 COVID-19 designated hospitals within Vodara Municipal Corporation limits, not a single facility has received a fire safety NOC from authorities, documents showed.

Twelve out of 27 such hospitals in Junagh and 29 out of 88 in Rajkot Municipal Corporation areas also do not have a valid fire NOC, affidavits filed by m reveal.

Surat and Bhavnagar municipal corporations did not specify number of COVID hospitals in ir affidavits.

Thus, taking into accounting both municipalities and municipal corporations, out of around 1,130 COVID-19 hospitals, 550 do not have valid fire NOCs, as per affidavits.

In ir replies, municipal corporations said notices are being issued to hospitals instructing m to promptly take necessary actions.

If y fail to do so, action would be taken against m in accordance with provisions of Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2013, y said.

"Vital issue connected with COVID hospitals is continuous and uninterrupted usage of ventilators, ACs, and or electrical equipment resulting in overheating and overloing.

"It is submitted that it occasionally causes accidents in spite of time to time instructions given to concerned owners, doctors and office-bearers of hospitals," documents said.

"It is stated that presence of excess oxygen and sanitizers in ICUs causes spre of fire in case of an accident.

"Staff members of COVID hospitals are given required training repeatedly for operation of fire system and evacuation in case of such a fire incident," y said.

In an affidavit filed on behalf of state government, Joint Secretary (Urban Development and Urban Housing Department) RH Vasava said government faces a dilemma over issue.

" government is faced with predicament of saving hundreds of lives on a daily basis by permitting fully equipped (COVID) hospitals, with ventilators, oxygen support, doctors, nurses, etc to continue with most stringent monitoring, or opting for closure of se hospitals for want of fire NOC," he said.

Vasava said Fire and Emergency Services were entrusted to undertake inspection and site visits, and certain proactive measures to ensure safety in all COVID-19 hospitals.

For present, steps have been taken to augment fire safety measures to extent possible, he said.

Since May 1, 2021, nine fire incidents have taken place in COVID-19 hospitals with fire NOCs, but due to training of on-duty staff, no life was lost and only minor damage was caused to property, Vasava said.

hearing on PIL will take place on Tuesday. PTI KA PD RSY RSY