Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Vivek Bharadwaj today chaired an officers’ meeting to discuss preparedness regarding fire safety in health institutions of Jammu and Kashmir besides deliberating on audit report received from the Home Department, J&K.Director General Prisons Department, Fire Services and Home Guards, B Srinivas besides other concerned officers were present in the meeting.The meeting had detailed discussion regarding preparedness for fire safety in all the hospitals, medical colleges and nursing homes having neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care and special neonatal besides other neonatal facilities for children in light of directions of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCECR). Besides, deliberations were also held on identification of gaps in the existing system besides implementation of Fire Safety Audit report.ACS asked the hospital and nursing homes to implement the guidelines issued from time to time by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Director General of Fire Services, Command Development and Home Guards to prevent fire incidents. He said that No Objection Certificates need to be issued to the hospitals and nursing homes only after the Fire Safety Recommendations are fulfilled by the respective institutions.It was decided in the meeting that short term awareness and training programmes shall be organized in coordination with the Fire Services Department besides conducting mock drills.Srinivas advised all the health institutions to ensure strict adherence to all necessary measures including installation of Fire Alarm Systems, Smoke Detectors and check on any leakage of oxygen supply to oxygen beds besides implementing other preventive measure to avoid any mishap.ACS instructed all the HoDs to see that all the gaps pointed out in the audit report of Fire Services Department shall be given top priority and no lapse shall be tolerated in this regard. He said that HoDs shall be personally responsible for ensuring Fire Safety in their respective institutes. He instructed that the institutions should go by the observations of Fire Safety Audit Report wherein sprinkler systems in the basement of the Hospital need to be revived. He also asked for ensuring availability of sufficient underground water reservoir for any exigency besides taking other corrective measures to fill the gaps.Heads of Departments assured the ACS that all his instructions shall be adhered to in letter and spirit.Senior officers of Health and Medical Education Department including Mission Director, National Health Mission, Director General, Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, Commissioner, FDA, Principals of all Medical Colleges, Managing Director, Medical Supplies Corporation, Project Director, AIDS Control Society, Director, AYUSH besides Directors of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir participated in the meeting.
