PR No – 53
25th January, 2025
New Delhi
Fire Safety in Hospitals remains a National Concern, adoption of modern technology to mitigate the risks is the urgent need of the hour, says Vinai Kumar Saxena Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Fire safety issues are often addressed only after a tragedy occurs that’s why all hospitals and nursing homes must prioritize fire safety compliance and conduct regular drills to ensure every member is prepared for their role, said Vinai Kumar Saxena Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi at Workshop on Hospital Fire Safety and Evacuation of Patients organised by The Directorate of Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with NDMA and PHDCCI at PHD House, New Delhi.
He urged people not to compromise on safety and emphasized that small measures, such as audits of fire safety equipment and staff training on operating fire extinguishers, can save many lives.
There’s a need to redefine the Fire safety norms and regulations to be able to effectively prevent fire mishaps. Also, the hospitals, nursing homes and doctors need to adhere to this and be more conscious while designing their space. He concluded by advocating for safety drills, mock drills, and regular seminars to create awareness and ensure preparedness. He expressed hope that this collective dialogue would pave the way for meaningful change.
Shri Vivek Srivastava, IPS, Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, Ministry Of Home Affairs, Government of India revealed that the root cause of hospital fires is electrical in origin, accounting for around 70% of such incidents.
Lately, there has been a lot of concern at the highest level of the country about fire safety in hospitals. As is evident, there is a major requirement of fire exits in hospitals. This workshop aims at deliberating on unique challenges, safety guidelines and solutions for hospitals and bring together all the stakeholders to prevent fire incidents.
Further we plan to conduct this workshop across the nation and brings all stakeholders onto a common platform, remaining committed to safeguarding life and property during fire emergencies and it is our responsibility to ensures that every facility upholds the highest fire safety standards, he said.
Shri Syed Ata Hasnain, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), discussed that the government must initiate a Fire Safety Day, just a day before summer starts, for all hospitals and schools, ensuring that they conduct fire mock drills with the assistance of professional fire safety engineers.
Shri Hemant Jain, President, PHDCCI informed that as one of India’s premier Chambers of Commerce, PHDCCI has always believed that industrial and institutional growth must be accompanied by a robust safety framework. To this end, we took a significant step two years ago by forming a dedicated Taskforce on Safety and Fire, which has been working diligently to promote awareness, compliance, and the adoption of best practices in fire safety across industries.
The importance of today’s workshop cannot be overstated, Hospitals present unique challenges, given their complex layouts, high-risk zones, and the presence of patients who may not be able to evacuate without assistance. Recent incidents have only highlighted the urgent need to bridge gaps in fire safety protocols and evacuation strategies and emphasised on shared responsibility, added Mr. Jain.
Shri Piyush Anand, IPS, DG, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) discussed NDRF’s role and informed that as patients are vulnerable so we need 2-3 people in evacuation and the equipment are also there which may catch fire. So we need to be more sensitive and go extra mile for this.
Shri Anand further stressed that Hospital should be covered in CSR fund ambit, if they are not already covered. He said it is a team game and all agencies involved have to sit down together and find out the way.
Shri K S Vatsa, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) emphasized the critical need to integrate fire safety measures into disaster management plans for hospitals while highlighting NDMA’s guidelines for fire safety in healthcare facilities.
He further advocated for the adoption of modern technologies to effectively detect and mitigate fire risks while urging stakeholders to prioritize evacuation planning, particularly for patients in critical care units. Mr Vatsa further discussed critical issues which have serious impact on hospital safety, and suggestions for this like safety audits of hospital on annual basis, creation of a system through the 3rd party and submission of reports. Formation of Safety committee, conduction of regular fire safety drills, building the training of people dealing with the hospital and there should be a national system for this. Lastly, he discussed on setting up of regulatory mechanism by the state department to ensure hospitals are conforming to safety standards.
The event was held in collaboration with key stakeholders and witnessed the participation of over 300 delegates, including senior fire officials, healthcare administrators, safety officers, and industry experts.
The workshop was sponsored by Karam and Impact Fire Solutions and was supported by PHDCCI annual sponsors, DLF Ltd; Jindal Steel & Power; KLJ Group; Multani Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Marble City; MMG Group; Radico Khaitan Ltd; Uflex Ltd; Vestige; Eazy ERP Technologies; JK Tyre & Industries Ltd; Sagar Group of Industries; Superior Industries Limited; Samsung India Electronics; Oswal Greentech; Apeejay Stya Group; Blossom Kochhar Beauty Products Pvt Ltd; DCM Shriram; R E Rogers; Trident Group; Ajit Industries Pvt Ltd; Bhagwati Plastic and Pipes Industries; Central Coalfields Ltd; DD Pharmaceutical Ltd.; Hindware Sanitary; Jindal Steel; Modern Automobiles; P S BEDI & Co.
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Warm Regards,
Media Division, PHDCCI