Details of the blaze showed that pvc pipes had also been stored in the basement and no went near out of fear. Every room had a warning system, but had all been switched off. The government should not stop with the cancellation of the licence and arrest of the top brass.
The latter should be dealt with severely. As for the workers Bannerjee was perfectly right when she said they deserved what they got (without a job now). They had fled their posts, they did not bother to rescue the victims. Even the behaviour of the doctors was reprehensible and they deserve severe censure.
The patients were theirs, a good many of them were under sedation or could not move, just out of an operation. And, the DME was brazen in his arrogance when he said he had 'taken charge only now' and that 'we are taking disaster management measures. Only now?
One report said a bank employee begged to be allowed in to see his wife, but the guard refused and asked the man to pay his bill first. Three years ago there was a fire in the hospital, but the management failed to learn a lesson. This is exactly our <I>chalta hai<P> a careless approach to life.
An AMRI can be averted only through preventive measures. Regular safety drills, strict adherence to safety norms and awareness. Not a flexible attitude to rules and standards; all that is done is the wringing of hands at the death toll and the denying of responsibility for the whole bloody mess.
People have not forgotten the devastating Stephen Court fire in Park Street last year. We saw it here too, the only difference was one was a heritage building, this a modern healthcare institution. legal anomalies connect the two. The fire ministry, for instance, will send firemen without harnesses or keep essential equipment outside the city.
Owners flout building rules regarding fire detection and fire protection, while corrupt officials sanction licence. The people should wake up and insist on fire detection and protection procedures, especially in
offices, malls, hospitals, cinemas and theatres. Annual inspection should be conducted whether smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers, fire hose reels and fire exits are working. To avoid granting of licences given wrongly these should be checked and the buildings inspected. Even the government sector cares about profit, and more unfortunate quality service is absent. Punishing will send out a clear message to the health care industry.
