New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Monday asked all states and Union Territories to ensure fire safety measures in medical facilities.
Bhalla, according to the sources, wrote a letter following the recent fire incident that took place at ICU ward of a Rajkot hospital that claimed the lives of six Covid19 patients. Earlier, a fire in a hospital in Ahmedabad claimed eight lives.
"At such a crucial time, when the country is fighting against Covid19 pandemic, utmost precautions need to be taken to avoid such incidents in future," Bhalla has said in his letter.
Directing states and UTs to take maximum safety and fire precautions, Bhalla asked the authorities to ensure the same with topmost urgency.
"Direct all concerned to immediately re-inspect, re-check all hospitals and nursing homes from the point of view of fire protection and means of escape to prevent recurrence of such fire incidents in future," Bhalla said in his letter written to chief secretaries of States and UTs.
Significantly, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday took cognisance of the fire outbreak in the designated Covid19 hospital in Rajkot.
The apex court had said that this is a serious thing and it reflects the situation of designated government hospitals as similar instances have taken place in other places too.
Bhalla in his letter further said that non-adherence of fire safety measures by authorities is a matter of concern.
Following the Covid19 outbreak in India, the government converted several lodges and hotels as temporary Covid hospitals or quarantine centres.
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