Deccan Chronicle      16.08.2010

Hospitals get GHMC deadline

Hyderabad, Aug. 15: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has set the deadline for non-multi-storeyed hospitals in the city to instal fire safety equipment.

In a meeting with the representatives of 41 hospital managements, the zonal commissioner of the GHMC, Mr K. Bhaskar, said that the owners and managements of all hospitals in the city with less than 50-bed capacity should commence the work on the installation by the third week of August 2010.

Mr Bhaskar also said that half the work should be completed by the first week of October, three-fourth should be done by the first week of December, and the work should be completed by the first week of February 2011.

It may be mentioned that the GHMC officials, along with their counterparts from the fire services wing, have been conducting inspections of all hospitals, schools, commercial establishments and other places that attract a large number of people everyday.

After the fire accident at the Park Hospital in Somajiguda, the government issued orders making it mandatory for even non-multi-storeyed buildings to install fire safety equipment. Before that incident, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire services was mandatory only for those multi-storeyed buildings that are 15 metres and above in height (in the case of commercial buildings) and 18 metres and above in height (in the case of residential buildings.)

The additional director of the fire prevention wing, Mr Lakshmi Prasad, said that notices were being served on all government and private schools and commercial establishments for the installation of fire safety equipment.