Stricter fire safety norms for hosps, nursing homes

MUMBAI: Months after a fire killed 91 people at a hospital in Kolkata, the fire department of the BMC is intensifying its drive against hospitals and nursing homes. In fact, it has now completed the guidelines for nursing homes.
The state government had passed a resolution in the winter session last year, making it mandatory for nursing homes to obtain a no-objection certificate from the fire department.Accordingly, the fire brigade has begun framing guidelines and is expected to finalize them by the end of the month. According to an official, while guidelines for hospitals with over 100 beds are in place, the fire brigade has made new fire safety rules for nursing homes.
“Most hospitals in the city have fire department’s no-objection certificate but it was not a requirement for nursing homes. After the state order, we made guidelines and circulated them to nursing homes,” said a fire official.
The guidelines include having active measures like smoke detection system, fire extinguishers and passive ones like having a broad staircase, clear exits and so on.
There are approximately 1,500 nursing homes in the city. According to the new rules, a nursing home which comes for renewal every year will have to take an NOC from the fire department. Usually, the renewals happen during April and May, said officials. “As and when we are getting applications for renewal, we are forwarding them to the fire department. The department is checking if nursing homes have the mandatory fire safety measures,” said executive health officer Anil Bandiwadekar.
Meanwhile, the BMC is looking to intensify its drive against hospitals. “We gave notices to 67 hospitals which were flouting safety rules. They had been given a period of 120 days to comply with the rules. We will start inspecting these hospitals in the first week of May and those which have not complied face punishment under the Maharashtra Fire Safety Act,” said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. As many as 37 of these hospitals were private, 17 BMC-run and 13 run by the government. The punishment could include prosecution, revocation of licence, and in some cases, closure, said an official.