Only 1 of 16 PGI buildings has fire NOC
Sandeep Rana & Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, October 10
Even as a major tragedy was averted after a fire broke out in the computer room of Nehru Hospital at the PGI on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, only one of the premier health institute’s 16 buildings has no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.
According to the Municipal Corporation, the PGI procured fire NOC only for Nehru Hospital extension building, while the remaining about 15 buildings, including Nehru Hospital where a major evacuation operation was launched after the fire, have no NOC.
As per the MC’s Fire Department, the hospital had applied for NOC for its 16 buildings in 2021, but only one was cleared as others didn’t meet fire safety norms. The institute later did not apply.
“The building where the fire broke out has fire extinguishers, but it doesn’t have equipment as per the guidelines of the National Building Code, 2016. There are other discrepancies too, which were flagged to the authorities in 2021,” said a fire officer.
MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra confirmed that only one building of the PGI had the fire NOC and there were discrepancies in other buildings.
Rajesh Kumar, Chief Fire Officer of the PGI, said, “We are in the process of obtaining NOC for the Nehru Hospital. The building is 60 years old and does not fulfil the National Building Code, 2016. The matter is with the Engineering Department.” The last night’s incident, meanwhile, saw no loss of life due to coordinated efforts of the hospital staff. A total of 424 patients, including those on ventilators and pregnant women, were evacuated. At least 14 fire tenders were pressed into service.
The cause of the fire was traced to a short circuit in the UPS room, housing over 100 batteries, which ignited the electrical cables and triggered fire that engulfed five floors of the C-block.
Though the fire alarm and hydrants functioned, the hospital lacked a sprinkler system. The damage is estimated at Rs 5 crore, even as crucial medical equipment remained unscathed.
As the fire began on the first floor, rescue operation was initiated on the upper floors. Patients were evacuated by breaking window panes and navigating through the corridors. The gynaecology room and liver ICU suffered extensive damage. As smoke and heat extended to nearby corridors, it necessitated relocation of patients from the adjacent Advanced Urology Centre and Male Surgical Ward. The evacuation of all patients took about an hour. By 2 am, most patient care services were restored.
The C-block houses vital facilities such as a dialysis unit, adult kidney unit, renal transplant unit, medical wards for both genders, gynaecology, maternity, neonatal intensive care, bone marrow transplant and operation theatres.
PGI Director Prof Vivek Lal, along with medical superintendent and administrative officers, reached the site. He told the engineering wing to begin restoration work on priority.
What triggered fire?
- Fire initially erupted in C-DAC room, a repository for UPS units housing over 100 batteries
- It then spread to electrical wires, resulting in a blast; oxygen pipes caught fire, which intensified blaze
Probe panel formed
A 14-member committee, led by Dean (Academic) Prof Naresh Panda, formed to investigate the incident and formulate action plan to prevent such occurrences in future. The panel has been given 48 hours to submit its findings.
Fire audit with IIT-Roorkee
IIT-Roorkee is conducting a fire audit of PGI’s five buildings since April. Among key points, the authorities mulled separating electrical connections from oxygen sources in bedded panels to prevent fire from minor sparks.
385 fire mishaps in five years
- PGI witnessed 385 fire incidents, including minor short circuits, from 2016 to 2021
- In 2018, a fire broke out in an operation theatre on the first floor of the Emergency block, over 150 patients evacuated
- Another fire broke out at gastroenterology ward of Nehru Hospital the same year; 50 patients shifted
