The Bombay High Court has taken judicial notice of the recent incidents of fires that have broken out in hospitals across the state. The bench pointed out the incidents in Thane, Bhandup, Virar as well as the oxygen leak in Nashik hospital.
The court noted that such incidents have happened in private hospitals, and such incidents call for immediate corrective action. The court thus directed the state to conduct fire audits of all private hospitals in the state.
“It seems to us that these hospitals are veritable “jatugrihas”. A person who is ill and in agony expects proper treatment after he is admitted in a hospital. Meeting death in such unfortunate circumstances would be far away from his imagination,” the court remarked.
The court said that any private hospitals that fail to put in place adequate fire safety measures should be shut down unless such deficiencies can be readily cured, keeping in mind the dearth of hospital beds in the state. “In case of hospitals operating without the necessary permissions/clearances from the statutory authorities but the same are equipped with appropriate fire safety measures, they may be allowed to operate temporarily till the crisis is over on condition that the permissions/clearances are obtained in the near future,” the court said.
The court has directed the state to file status report on the fire audits on the next date of hearing, May 4.
The order may be read here:
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