Sans open sections, SGPGI one of the most vulnerable
LUCKNOW: Lack of emergency exit points and the packed nature of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) render it vulnerable to fires.
When the hospital first came up, it was not sealed for air-conditioning. At that time, the PGI had open corridors bringing in fresh air. There were also a number of
entrance and exit points. Later, the administrators opted for full air conditioning and so a number of entry and exit points were closed.
If an incident on the lines of the one in Bhubaneshwar takes place in this hospital, one can imagine the catastrophe that would follow.
There have been around 8 cases of fire on the PGI premises during the past 10 years, the recent occurring inside the animal house in November last year. However, fire was also reported in chemistry lab of
CBMR in May last year. On May 24, 2011 there was a fire in the OT of neurology department, which caused heavy loss of property. This fire was so deadly that the research scholars working in the lab nearly fainted. The fire soon spread to the roof and other parts of the lab and then the fire brigade was informed.
Alert students took all inflammable material and chemicals out of the chemistry lab or else more loss would have occurred.
The chemistry lab is full of things like methanol, acetone, sulphuric acid and other dangerous acids which are highly inflammable.
However, authorities say the PGI has only one entry and exit but it does have some fire exits.
SGPGIMS professor Rakesh Kapoor told HT, “Fire inside a hospital is more dangerous because there are patients who cannot run to save themselves. Some patients cannot walk or are not in their senses. The deaths inside Bhubaneshwar hospital may be due to this fact. However, PGI has all arrangements to control fire but no one can guarantee that fire incidents would not take place in future.”
Professor Kapoor said that SGPGIMS had one of the best systems in place to control fire. It had fire extinguishers which were examined periodically by experts.
Smoke alarms were placed all over as the building was fully air-conditioned. In case of emergency, all the wards had a hammer and a glass cutter inside an almirah, he said, adding the staff had knowledge of emergency exit points in every ward.
Fire hydrants were also present at every possible point for dousing a fire, he said.