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| Need to make hospitals safe | | |
Recently Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar, chaired a meeting of officers to review fire safety measures put in place in health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir.
He sought the institution-wise status of the fire fighting system and other alternative mechanisms available in hospitals from concerned heads of the institutions. In J&K fire incidents are more prone to occur in winter as there are issues of over-usage of heating devices. So to conduct fire safety audits in the hospitals and health centers during the winter months is an important step.
Just a few days before, fire engulfed a portion of the Civil Secretariat in Jammu. The fire was controlled before it could have caused much damage but such incidents indicate that no chances can be taken and all the precautions need to be put in place to prevent any mishaps from occurring.
The fire safety audit of the health institutions is an important exercise. It needs to be conducted in a dedicated way as the patients who are admitted in the hospital become the worst victims if the fire breaks out. The concerned officials need to prepare a lsit of measures that can be taken to prevent fire incidents, and also save people in case such untoward incidents happen. They should ensure that all the fire safety guidelines for hospitals and other buildings issued by the government, prioritizing a strict compliance strategy, third party accreditation on safety, and adoption of a fire response plan are in place. A hospital catching fire is the worst thing that can happen. Extra precautions need to be taken while protecting the health institutions as no chances can be taken with the safety of patients.
The health institutions need to be equipped with exhaust systems to prevent smoke accumulation, ventilation, cut-outs to prevent a blaze from spreading, periodic maintenance of safety equipment and, very importantly, an evacuation plan for the patients, who may be attached to life support systems.
The officials who conduct the fire safety audit need to bear in mind that before securing the building, they have to ensure that the patients are secured and their safety is given the paramount importance. The fire safety audit is an important part of the system as it ensures that all safety measures are in place in case any untoward incident takes place. |
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