Rajawadi Hospital checks all the right boxes when it comes to being fire compliant, but all that good work will be for naught if people face hurdles while leaving during an emergency, which is likely considering how narrow and congested the exit rout
Relatives of patients crowd on the staircase outside one of the wards
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Hallelujah! Ghatkopar's Rajawadi Hospital is far better in terms of fire safety measures than the other civic hospitals mid-day covered in its safety audit series. However, being one of the most important peripheral hospitals in Central Mumbai, with a bed capacity of around 570 and seeing a daily footfall of 1,000-odd OPD patients, it stills falls behind in some parameters.
Open and hanging cables on the premises pose a big danger of electrocution
Hits and misses
All the fire extinguishers here have been refilled and updated as per fire safety norms, unlike in major hospitals, namely KEM, Nair and JJ. All the cylinders are within the expiry date of 2018, and the hospital has even installed advanced dry chemical extinguishers. A big thumbs up!
But, there is a but. The extinguishers aren't installed inside the wards, which an inspection of the labour room, neonatal care, gynaecology and orthopaedic wards revealed. In case of a fire here, staffers would have to run outside to get the extinguishers, which will not only result in a delay, but also may not be possible, depending on the severity of the blaze.
The cables in several places are lying open, which can prove hazardous. "The cables keep hanging from the roof and that's dangerous. It leaves so many vulnerable to electrocution, accidentally or otherwise," said Rekha Mehra, 29, a Ghatkopar resident whose father was undergoing treatment at the hospital.
A congested exit
Also, the exit route of the hospital is extremely narrow - just three feet wide. Relatives of patients often crowd on the steps of the hospital, especially in gynaecology and paediatric wards, an obstruction during an accident that would hamper rescue and evacuation, especially that of bed-ridden patients who would have to be taken out on stretchers.
"The paediatric and gynaecology wards are the most crowded. Most people are from poor economic backgrounds and can't afford to stay in hotels; so they often wait on the stairs of the wards, while their loved ones are undergoing treatment, which restricts the way out," said a ward boy from the hospital. And the narrow exit route is made worse by, once again, lack of photo-luminescent signs.
A few glaring gaps
Smruthy Nair, a businesswoman
'The hospital needs to focus on hygiene on the premises. Washrooms in the OPD building aren't cleaned regularly, which can give rise to infections among patients and their relatives. Also, drinking water is not available on all floors. So, relatives of patients have to keep going from one end to another in search of it, which is tiresome'
Siva Krisnan, a resident of Parel
'There are no proper signboards instructing people about the wards, forcing them to go hunting from one building to another, which delays diagnosis and treatment'
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