Following mid-day's safety audit, Mumbai's largest municipal hospital begins process to set its house in order
Health rights activists say BMC and fire department must keep a check on whether hospitals are following all safety norms. File pic
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mid-day impact>> Just a few days after mid-day pulled up the city's biggest civic hospital - KEM - highlighting how ill-equipped it was to tackle a fire or any other emergency, it has removed its expired fire extinguishers to get them refilled and has also installed brand new fire alarms. It is, however, yet to clear the exit routes, which are blocked with discarded furniture and dysfunctional machines.
KEM's new 11-storeyed building lacks several safety measures. File pic
On December 29, 14 people lost their lives after a fire broke out in the pub 1 Above in Kamala Mills compound. The victims were rushed to KEM Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. Questions were raised on fire safety measures at establishments across the city, pushing the civic body to act - it demolished several illegal structures as part of a huge crackdown.
Following the incident, mid-day carried out a safety audit of KEM Hospital, throwing up shocking revelations and the dangers the place, which recorded footfall of around 9,000 OPD patients daily, was hiding.
Action reaction
mid-day's report revealed how most of the fire extinguishers in the hospital had expired in 2016 and no one had bothered to get them filled up again. Also, even the alarms in the new 11-storeyed building were lying dysfunctional. Post the report, this is what has happened so far: "We have sent the extinguishers for refilling. The mechanical department is looking into it and the alarms have been repaired," said Dr Avinash Supe, dean of the hospital. The hospital is also in the process of clearing the exit routes to give smooth and easy access for evacuation during an emergency. "We have issued orders that all exit routes be cleared up at the earliest," added Dr Supe.
What activists say
Health rights activists, however, have said the blame lies equally with the fire department for not following it up with hospitals on a regular basis to curb such negligence. "It is the responsibility of the fire department and the civic body to keep a check on all parameters of fire safety at big hospitals. There is a need to keep an eye, so that even if hospitals are violating rules, authorities can force them to implement the same," said Dr Ravindra Singh, a human rights activist.
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