Centre asks States to complete fire safety audits of all hospitals by July 31

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has directed all States and Union Territories to complete fire safety audits of all public and private healthcare facilities through a special study and upload the findings on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) by July 31.

Fire safety should be an integral part of routine hospital management and patient safety protocols rather than remaining a one-time exercise, Union Health Minister Punya Salila Srivastava said in a letter to States and UTs.

4,083 facilities completed inspections

Pointing out that 4,083 second-level public and private hospitals reported completion of fire safety inspections on the IHIP portal in May, the Minister of Health said in his letter that the actual number of inspections carried out may be higher.

The Ministry has now asked States to ensure that all hospitals, including private hospitals and nursing homes, conduct monthly fire safety inspections through the IHIP portal.

Special attention has been given to high-risk areas such as Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), nurseries and other critical care units where the consequences of a fire may be particularly severe.

Recently, it was reported that a fire broke out in the operating room of Chigateri District Hospital in Davangere, Karnataka. However, since the surgeries that day had not yet started, there was no loss of life.

The Ministry also asked States to widely disseminate the updated National Guidelines on Fire and Life Safety in Healthcare Facilities among healthcare facilities to strengthen preparedness and reduce the risk of fire-related incidents.

The Minister of Health called on States to personally monitor the exercise and ensure that fire safety remains a sustainable priority across healthcare facilities.

The letter stated that the special study, covering both public and private health institutions, will be completed by July 31 by uploading the audit findings to the Ministry’s Integrated Health Information Platform.