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| Fire fighting mechanism pathetically ineffective; Principal mum | | Is GMC waiting for catastrophe? | | Avinash Azad
Jammu, Mar 23: With glaring discrepancies in the healthcare services rendered by it coming to the fore often, the Government Medical College & Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu, the premier healthcare institution of the region has hit another low- the hospital that has number of outdoor and indoor patients, attendants and staff running into thousands at any given hour is bereft of a reliable fire fighting mechanism, exposing the precious lives to grave threat.
Astonishingly, the Emergency Ward of GMC&H, inaugurated few years back is ill-equipped to tackle a fire incident as instead of the requisite amount of 10-12 Multipurpose Dry Powder Extinguishers only two equipments are fitted at the three floors of the emergency wing.
Not only the fire extinguishers are fewer, they are not being maintained properly and periodical examination of the equipment is not being done since their meters show empty sign.
Another major lapse of the hospital administration is that it has failed to ensure the provision of even a single bucket filled with sand in the premises of the ward to fight fire. It is quite baffling that the hospital administration has forgotten that the sand is one of the oldest, cheapest and most effective mode of fire fighting which can easily douse even the raging flame.
The complacency of the administration can also be gauged from the fact that the Modular Fire Alarm System installed in the room of Causality Medical Officer (CMO) does not function properly. It is supposed to ring a bell in case of fire but it gives alarm even power goes off. To end the confusion of false alarming, GMC&H's highly 'efficient' staff has switched off the device. It needs to be mentioned here that the hospital's emergency wing is always prone to a fire incident since its ceiling has been covered with ply board which is an open invitation for the fire to engulf the entire structure as and when some mishap happened.
Even a lay man knows that a spark generated by a short circuit can turn this emergency ward into ashes. However, it seems that the hospital administration is in deep slumber and waiting for a catastrophe to strike the largest health institution of Jammu province.
In an attempt to take administration's version over the inadequate fire fighting equipments in the hospital premises, the Principal, GMC&H Dr Shashi Gupta did not respond to repeated calls. |
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