After Godda fire, safety measures found missing at Jamshedpur hospital
JAMSHEDPUR: The Jamshedpur Fire Brigade department has found fire safety measures and facilities inadequate at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) during a recent inspection in wake of a fire mishap at a private hospital in Godda district on December 10 last year.
“We found fire safety measures and facilities almost absent at MGMMCH. We inspected all major wards in the hospital Monday and found that fire safety measures are inadequate in almost all the wards and four entry points. We are not at all satisfied with the existing fire safety and extinguishing protocol in MGMMCH,” Ravindra Thakur, Jamshedpur fire officer said on Monday.
Thakur said the inspection drive was started at all government and private hospitals in the city to find out if they have adequate and effective fire safety measures and facilities in place, on the directive of East Singhbhum deputy commissioner (DC) Suraj Kumar in the wake of fire mishap at a private hospital in Godda recently.
“We have sought a convenient date from MGMMCH authorities for workshop on fire safety measures,” added Thakur.
The development came after state health secretary Dr Niti Madan Kulkarni sent a directive to DCs of the 24 districts to undertake physical inspection of fire safety measures at all government and private medical facilities across the state in wake of the Godda fire mishap.
On December 10 last year, a major tragedy was averted, as more than 20 newborns were saved when the sick newborn care unit (SNCU) at a private hospital--Sunrise Hospital-caught fire in Godda, around 330km from state capital Ranchi.
Meanwhile, six adjoining shops were gutted in Sakchi market after a bangle shop caught fire late Sunday night. The situation was brought under control after two hours.
This was the second fire mishap in Sakchi Market in less than a month’s time.
We are not at all satisfied with the existing fire safety and extinguishing protocol in MGMMCH. RAVINDRA THAKUR, Jamshedpur fire officer