61 hospitals haven’t renewed fire NOC

NMMC does fire audit of 173 hosps; 112 have renewed NOCs; most non-Covid hosps have not renewed certs

NAVI MUMBAI: As per the fire audit report on Navi Mumbai hospitals submitted recently by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), 61 out of 173 hospitals had not renewed their fire NOC.

The NMMC, however, confirmed that none of the Covid hospitals or centres have flouted the fire norms.

After the fire incident at Bhandara District General Hospital in January that killed 10 new-born babies at the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), NMMC chief, Abhijit Bangar, had ordered for a fire audit of the hospitals in the city. The recent fire in Bhandup, which killed 11 persons, has brought the fire safety of hospitals to the fore.

Chief fire officer, Shirish Aradwad, said, “Special attention was given to the Covid hospitals considering the rising number of patients getting admitted there and it was found that none of the Covid hospitals flouted the fire norms. The 61 hospitals that were found without the NOC were all non-Covid hospitals.”

There are a total of 205 hospitals and nursing homes registered in the city, of which 32 were found to be shut. Of the 173 found to be functioning, 112 have renewed their NOC. “While the housing societies are supposed to renew the fire NOC once in a year, the hospitals are supposed to renew the fire NOC every six months as per the norms. When it comes to the housing societies, most of the multiple-winged housing societies were found to be following the norms while the small societies flout the norm. The hospitals without the NOC have been given a notice asking them to renew the NOC. If they fail to respond, then we disconnect the electric supply to the hospital,” Aradwad said.

“All the multi-storeyed hospitals in Navi Mumbai have the NOC of the fire system in place. Of the 61 who did not have, around 10 of them have applied for one. Even these 61 have the fire systems at place but without a renewed NOC. Even as the contractor audits the fire system, we also visit the hospitals to ensure that the system is in place,” NMMC fire officer Purushottam Jadhav said.

For small hospitals, which have only ground-plus-one floor, fire extinguishers are required for the ground floor while a fire extinguisher, hose reel, hose boxes and sign indicators are required on the first floor. Multiple-storeyed hospitals require fire extinguishers, hose reel, hose boxes, landing valves, wet riser-cum-downcomer fire hydrant system, detection system, sprinkler system and sign indicators at every floor among others.

PRATIK CHORGE/HT FILE Recent fire in a Bhandup mall has brought the fire safety of hospitals to limelight. Fire spread to Sunrise Hospital, a dedicated Covid hospital, located on the third floor.