Many hospitals operating ICUs sans fire safety NOC

Overheating of equipment and ACs make the units vulnerable to accidents, say officials

At a time when the health infrastructure is crumbling under the load of coronavirus patients in need of emergency care , the Fire Services Department officials fear the possibility of accidents as many hospitals including those being run by the government are yet to obtain the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC). Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in March last year, the country has seen close to 25 fire accidents in various hospitals in different cities, of which 14 were reported in the ICU units where COVID patients were undergoing treatment. In Visakhapatnam city, there are about 2,000 ICU beds in 80 hospitals, including about 900 under the State’s control . Sources in the Fire Services Department say that a majority of over 20 government hospitals including the CHCs do not have the NOC.