Gov't hospitals to conduct fire safety audit after Kolkata disaster

Seven of India's top government hospitals, including the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, will conduct a thorough fire audit, after a fire killed over 90 in a hospital in Kolkata Friday, reported local daily The Times of India on Sunday. Indian Health Secretary P. K. Pradhan has written a letter to all directors and medical superintendents of premier government hospitals asking them to immediately conduct fire audits and mock drills and submit a report within a week, said the report. "The government hospitals cater to millions of patients a day. Hence, we don't want to take any chances. We have asked all our top hospitals to complete a full-fledged fire audit and a fire drill. Once the reports come, we will fill the gaps. All institutes have been told to carry out fire safety training for its staff," the minister told the newspaper. AIIMS director Dr. R. C. Deka told the newspaper that a committee, which includes engineers and doctors has been formed to check the fire safety standards of all the buildings in the AIIMS' premises. Over 90 people were suffocated to death in the AMRI hospital in Kolkata Friday after a fire broke out in the basement of an annexe building of the institution, engulfing the whole building with toxic and heavy smoke. The government has accused hospital management of negligence and failure to evacuate patients on time. Most Indian city hospitals may not be fully prepared to handle a disaster of the magnitude of Friday's Kolkata hospital blaze, according to the newspaper. While the fire brigade admitted it did not carry out regular checks, officials said most hospitals are ill-equipped and do not follow safety norms, said the daily.