Vijayawada: 20 hotels turned Covid care centres under scanner

Vijayawada: Fire accident, which claimed 10 lives at the Swarna palace hotel in Vijayawada on Sunday morning, raise many questions regarding safety of the hotels and Covid care centres.

The district administration has given permission to 20 hotels in Vijayawada city to operate as Covid care centres. Swarna palace hotel is one of the hotels which got permission to function as Covid care centre.

According to the Fire department norms, rules differ for hospitals, commercial and residential buildings. Hospitals must obtain NOC if the hospital building is above 15 metres of height. NOC is must for residential buildings, which are more than 18 metres height. As per the Fire department rules, NOC was not necessary for Swarna palace building when it was a hotel because its height is less than 18 metres. When asked why such hotels do not require NOC as they have restaurants also and fire accident cannot be ruled out, no official was willing to answer.

Contrary to the claims of the Fire department, Vijayawada hotels owners' association secretary Sanjay Kumar Mehta said the district administration and Medical and Health department has given permission to run Covid care centre to Swarna palace hotel after proper verification. But M Srinivasa Reddy, District Fire Officer, told The Hans India, that the Swarna palace management did not obtain NOC.

Apparently, neither the Municipal Corporation nor the Fire department bothered to look into the matter before the hotels turned into hospitals became operational.