District Collector D. Mohan has directed the authorities to take steps to enhance fire safety measures in hospitals in Villupuram. The Collector, who chaired a meeting of officials of government and private hospitals in the district at the Collectorate on Monday, said hospitals should take necessary measures to prevent fire accidents.
Fire safety and prevention measures should be taken. National building code guidelines for hospitals should be strictly adhered to. A power-point presentation was made by Fire Officer Robin Castro covering a host of aspects including effective fire fighting techniques and the dos and don’ts.
Representatives from Government Hospitals, Primary Health Centres, and private hospitals who attended the meeting were briefed in detail about a range of aspects such as the source of fire, its effects, fire extinguishing methods, classes of fire, way to use fire extinguisher, minimum requirements for fire safety and national building code guidelines.
The Collector said adequate fire safety measures should be put in place in all hospitals. This included installation of fire alarms in each floor, holding of mock drills every three months, a fire safety evacuation plan, installation of smoke detection system, and use of flame-retardant materials in interiors.
Officials should also inspect health facilities and ensure the availability of functional safety equipment as per fire safety guidelines. Necessary action should be taken in case any deficiencies were found, he added.
