The committee appointed under PMRDA has given the orders to file a report or face stern action
All private hospitals in the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) area and Pune district have been given an ultimatum to complete their fire and electrical audits within 15 days. All hospitals have also been asked to file a report for the same with the authorities in the stipulated time. While big hospitals claim they won’t have a problem in carrying out the procedure, the task will be challenging for the small and medium-sized hospitals due to the current movement restrictions.
Earlier, divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao had formed a seven-member committee to check fire audits of hospitals in Pune zilla parishad, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation areas. The committee is headed by Suhas Divase, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PMRDA. The same committee has now given the orders to complete the compliance of filing the report within 15 days. Against the backdrop of Nashik and Virar fire incidents, the state government has ordered fire audit of all hospitals in the state.
Prashant Ranpise, chief fire officer (CFO) of PMC, said the team goes and visits the hospitals and checks the parameters that are required for the compliance for the fire audit. “If we find that the fire fighting equipment are not as per the compliance, we immediately issue a notice on the spot to the hospitals. They are then asked to complete the compliance within the 15 days. This compliance has to be completed by the hospitals from the government authorised agencies. The audit is done by the fire department,” said Ranpise.
“The report has to be submitted to us by the hospitals and we share the reports both during the first visit and post compliance to PMRDA. We are now conducting the fire audit of several hospitals on daily basis,” Ranpise added.
Bomi Bhote, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, who is also the president of the Association of Hospitals in Pune, said almost all the hospitals of the association conduct periodical fire and electrical audits. “Several hospitals of the association are NABH-accredited and we have to do the fire and other audits to submit it to them. Even during the renewal of registration of the hospitals, we conduct the audit. Majority of our hospitals have completed the compliance. We also have regular mock drills at the facilities,” said Bhote.
Eye surgeon Dr Sanjay Patil, who is chairman of the Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, said that there are small and mediumsized hospitals that have accreditation to NABH and they have done their compliance. “During the renewal of registration licences, we have to get the fire audit done. However, due to the COVID outbreak and the restriction in the movement, it would be difficult for small hospitals to complete the compliance in 15 days,” said Dr Patil.
Dr Patil said many agencies that are authorised and do the compliance work for the fire and electrical audits are functioning with less number of staff. “It hence becomes a Herculean task to get the compliance completed from them in a short time. Even as it is the compliance of fire and electrical audit. It can’t be done in a rush,” he said.
PMRDA CEO Divase said there is already a provision in the rule for the fire audit and even provision for the action. “The decision has been taken is good for the safety of the public. The electrical audit is seen by the electrical division and likewise, the fire audit is overseen by the fire department. There are authorised agencies by the government from where the audit has been done. Some of the hospitals have done their audit and compliance and some have suggested the changes for the compliance.
