Obsolete fire-fighting measures ail Faridabad Civil Hospital

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, July 10

Fire-fighting arrangements are inadequate at the Civil Hospital here. The 200-bed hospital receives over 2,200 patients in the OPD daily.

Though the project of laying the sensor-based water sprinkler system was launched in 2021, it is yet to get completed sources said.

They further said no progress had been made on this front in the last one year and despite spending several lakh of rupees on the installed system, it faced the risk of getting damaged or rusted.

The hospital, which has several hundred persons, including patients, attendants and staff at all times, is now dependent mainly on cylinder-based fire extinguishers or the Fire Brigade Department to deal with fire incidents, said a doctor.

A fire that took place last year was controlled with the help of the Fire Brigade Department. It is reported that the work on the automatic water sprinkler system was started by the PWD about three years ago, but was halted last year, due to the shortage shortage of funds.

Though an initial budget of Rs 77 lakh was sanctioned by the Health Department for carrying out various infrastructural and repair works such as new ceiling and installation of the automatic fire system, the revised budget of Rs 1.74 crore given by the PWD was still awaiting approval, which had resulted in halting of the work.

While water pipes were laid in many parts, the work was halted with no deadline for its completion, it is claimed. The incomplete work was not only giving a shabby look but also posed risk of the false ceiling falling off, which was lying open at many places, said an employee.

“The water sprinkler system is quite effective as it responds as soon as the sensor detects smoke,” said Satyawan Samriwal a former official of the Fire Department.

He said it was a type of an automatic extinguishing system (AES) that prevented fire from spreading by releasing water through a series of sprinkler heads connected to a distribution piping system. The water was released through the sprinkler heads once the surrounding air heat reached to a certain degree. The sprinkler system was an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system providing adequate pressure and flow rate to a water distribution piping system, to which the fire sprinklers were connected, it is added.

Dr Savita Yadav, Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the Civil Hospital, said the matter, including the demand for additional funds, had been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned and work was likely to be completed soon.

Work to be completed soon

Dr Savita Yadav, Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the Civil Hospital, said the matter, including the demand for additional funds, had been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned and work was likely to be completed soon.