New Delhi, December 9
The Cardiovascular and Neuro Sciences Centre of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which houses the VVIP ward, is among five hospital buildings here that do not have the no-objection certificate (NoC)" from the Delhi Fire Services.

Besides the AIIMS, other buildings, including the New Trauma Centre at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and the New Ward Block of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital do not have a NoC from the fire services, said Director Delhi Fire Services AK Sharma.

The fire department has raised objection to the safety measures in the dental department of Maulana Azad Medical College and the Trauma Centre of the Deen Dayal Uphadhaya Hospital under the Delhi Government.

Sharma said certain loopholes regarding fire safety were pointed out to the authorities of these hospitals, but none of them had come back with an undertaking of meeting the criteria.

Absence of sprinkler system in the buildings, smoke management system and compartmentalising of rooms to prevent spread of fire are among the main criteria that have not been met by the hospital authorities, he said.

Fire officials said, “As soon as there is a fire in a building, the sprinkler system rains water and helps douse it. A proper smoke management system is one which drives the smoke out of the building and not inside, which could choke and cause death of patients.”

“Compartmentalising implies that the arrangement should be such that fire in one block should not spread to the other. This will help conduct rescue operations faster,” according to Sharma. — PTI