Since the recent series of fire incidents in the capital, it has been learned that at least 90 percent city buildings including hospitals are in fire risks.
The hospital authorities are only seen actively working towards ensuring fire safety when they are served with notices, the Directorate General of Health Services’ (DGHS) chief himself has pointed out.
“Everyone becomes very active after they are sent official directives only to eventually lose their drive,” DGHS Director General Dr Abul Kalam Azad told Bangla Tribune in the aftermath of the Directorate’s directive last year to all hospitals to form three separate committees.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence data, 422 hospitals in the capital are in fire risks with 173 of those ‘Highly Risky’ while 249 have been labeled ‘Risky’. Only 11 in the list have been categorized ‘Satisfactory’ including National Hearth Foundation and Research Institute, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), National Heart Foundation, Delta Health Care Mirpur Limited, Apollo Hospital, United Hospital and BISH General Hospital.
Fire Service says committees formed in these hospitals to deal with fire have been working properly. However, it has been learned that most hospital’s fire safety committees are effectively inactive. Hospital staffers are not receiving any training on using the fire safety equipments. Besides, most of the hospitals do not have fire hydrants, smoke detectors, fire alarms or emergency exits.
Doctors at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) claims, damaged would be at a minimum in case of a fire incident as DMCH has a good number of exit points with wide windows and many cross-ventilations.
Sir Salimullah Medical College Director Brian Bankim Haldar told Bangla Tribune, “We have a vigilance team and three committees, each having seven members, to oversee everything from minor flaws to fire safety preparations. We also arrange a fire drill each week.”
BIRDEM General Hospital’s Director Shahidul Haque Mallik said, “A 16-member committee has been formed with a director leading it. We regularly evaluate the overall safety preparations and arrange fire drills.”
Dr Azad said, “When an accident happens, we issue a directive to the hospitals. They usually form a committee, arrange drills and forget about the whole thing before you know it. That’s the problem.”
With the Health Services week, to begin from May 2, he said, “We will hold a fire fighting drill during the week and we are looking forward to make it regular.”