IMA demands comprehensive steps to prevent fire incidents in hospitals

The Indian Medical Association condoled the fire incidents at COVID-19 ICU wards of Government Civil Hospital in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar in which 12 coronavirus patients died and seven others were injured, said a press release from IMA.

The top medical body also demanded to conduct the safety audit and ensure adequate funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the equipment to ensure patient safety.

This unfortunate incident that took place in a government hospital exposes the collective responsibility of the Government, administration, allied departments of engineering, and maintenance.

"However, it is extremely painful to know that the doctors and staff nurses who were involved in the medical care of the patients in the ICU have been accused with charges of negligence of the fire incident. Slapping doctors and nurses with charges under Sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by authorities has raised serious questions about the safety of professionals in the democratic country," said the release.

"While the specialized task departments like Fire, Electricity & PWD exist in all government institutions, action against doctors & nurses is nothing but swaying away from responsibilities by the machinery. Mechanisms of fire audit, maintenance & firefighting are allocated responsibilities of these specialized departments undoubtedly," the press release said.

"Why doctors & nurses should be treated as scapegoats just to project some action?" IMA asked.

The medical body said if doctors and nurses can be arrested without any complete inquiry and slapped with responsibilities that they are not accountable for, it speaks volumes about the system.

"Conducting fire audits, electrical audits at regular intervals is the responsibility of the specific departments in the system. Instead of knee-jerk reactions, it is time for all stakeholders concerned to audit the safety norms on Physical infrastructure, violence prevention, and ensure adequate funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the equipment to ensure patient safety," read the release.

"When such fire incidents take place in private hospitals, the owner of the hospitals are taken into the task by the authorities, however, in government hospitals, the unfortunate postgraduate student doctor and nurses are arrested and put in jail," it said.

( With inputs from ANI )