Tirupati: Private Covid hospitals told to adhere to fire safety steps

Tirupati: Fire safety and help desk are must for private Covid hospitals, district collector Dr N Bharath Kumar firmly told the private hospital managements at a meeting with the hospital managements and district fire department officials here on Wednesday. The collector in the meeting made it clear that the private hospitals should strictly adhere to the fire safety measures stipulated by the district fire department and also ensure transparency in the treatment of Covid patients. He wanted them to set up CC cameras in the Covid hospitals and directed the district fire officer Balaraju to inspect all the hospitals and make a thorough review of safety measures in place in the hospitals. The collector also urged the private hospitals to set up a separate ward for Aarogyasri patients and also facilitate treatment of Covid affected media persons.

Coordinator Dr Balanjaneyulu will take up the training for private hospital personnel in fire safety measures by fire officials. All the private hospital should set up help desk and also incorporate the details of treatment being provided to patients in the case sheet on daily basis, he said seeking private Covid hospital to refer the positive patients above 50 years to Covid care centre and those asymptomatic positive patients should be sent to home isolation after providing them the home kits.

Fire Officer Balaraju said that many hospitals were found not keeping open the escape corridor and also using them as a storage place for disused materials and equipment and insisted the hospital to ensure the escape corridor, staircase, ramps etc. free from any obstacles. RDO Kanakanarasa Reddy, representatives of private hospitals and IMA were present.