‘COVID jumbo care centres, private hospitals a fire trap’: Official

The Jumbo care centre at Mahalaxmi. File pic

The makeshift jumbo care centres and private hospitals roped in by the BMC for COVID-19 treatments in the city are possible "fire traps," MV Deshmukh, former director, Maharashtra Fire Services and advisor to the state of Maharashtra, told mid-day.

The senior fire official's warning comes two days after the fire at Sunrise Hospital, located inside Dreams Mall in Bhandup. Investigations revealed that no fire compliance and firefighting equipment were in place at the mall, and the exit routes too, were encroached in the ground plus three-storey mall, killing 11 people on Thursday night.

"The jumbo centres and private hospitals are nothing but fire traps - right from bedsheets to mattresses, electrical wirings, air conditioners, and ICU setup, everything poses a risk. What is worrisome is that these centres have got large quantities of hand sanitisers with 60 to 80 per cent alcohol base, making them highly inflammable. The PPE kits worn by the paramedical staff and doctors are not fire-resistant either," said Deshmukh.

Even the pandals of these makeshift centres are not made of fire-retardant materials. According to Deshmukh, post the Dabwali Fire Accident on December 23, 1995, which claimed hundreds of lives in Sirsa district of Haryana, the Bureau of Indian Standards had listed a host of measures to be undertaken at temporary makeshift pandals. It was after this incident that the Government of India made it mandatory to use fire-retardant materials to set-up temporary pandals, he said. "Yet, this has not been implemented."

Since most of these patients are bedridden, or on ventilator support, it may not be possible for them to evacuate in case of an emergency, he said. "It is high time that the administration takes serious cognisance of this," he added.

According to him, the National Building Code of 2005 and 2016 clearly stated that malls cannot be used for setting up any temporary or permanent hospitals or nursing homes. "In [Sunrise Hospital's case], this is a clear violation. But, the civic authorities claim that under the Development Control Regulation 2034, hospitals can be opened in any mix occupancy malls, which itself is absurd," Deshmukh said.

Another retired fire officer said that the local fire brigade should not have allowed Sunrise Hospital to continue operations, as the mall was defunct, and most of its firefighting systems were not in working condition. "We must understand that a mall cannot be converted into a hospital. Hospital beds are larger than normal beds, and require more space for movement. The elevators need to be designed for carrying patients, not visitors."

Last October, two patients lost their lives in a hospital fire in Mulund. In January this year, 10 newborn infants choked to death after a fire broke out at District General Hospital, Bhandara. Incidentally, in all cases, a fire audit had been announced as an administrative arrangement. "Since public memory is short, follow-ups and ‘action taken reports' went for a toss. In the Bhandup case too, while the civic chief has appointed a former fire chief to conduct an inquiry and fix the responsibility, this too will be forgotten soon." An amendment for the statutory fire audit was moved in 2015, which it is yet to see the light of day, he added.