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Telangana Orders Safety Audits of All Government Hospitals
After a fire at RIMS Adilabad, Telangana plans to check every government hospital.
Inspectors will examine fire equipment, electrical systems, buildings and oxygen supplies.
They will also check emergency exits and evacuation plans.
Fire and electrical checks must happen every six months, while building checks happen yearly.
Hospitals will be divided into sensitive and non-sensitive areas.
Sensitive places include ICUs, operation theatres, emergency departments and other critical-care units.
Staff will practice mock evacuations.
District committees will track problems, and dangerous defects must be fixed quickly.
The Telangana government ordered fire, electrical and structural audits of all government hospitals within a month.
Fire and electrical safety audits will be mandatory every six months, while structural audits will occur annually.
Audits will examine alarms, extinguishers, hydrants, wiring, generators, oxygen systems, exits and evacuation procedures.
Hospitals must classify areas by risk, prepare sensitive-zone evacuation plans and conduct regular staff mock drills.
District committees led by collectors will monitor safety, while a separate budget will support equipment maintenance and repairs.
- Who
- The Telangana government, under a review chaired by Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, ordered the audits.
- What
- Fire, electrical and structural safety audits will be conducted at all government hospitals, followed by corrective action and new safety guidelines.
- Where
- The measures apply to government hospitals across Telangana, following an incident at RIMS Adilabad; the decision was taken at the Secretariat.
- When
- The audits are to be completed within a month; fire and electrical audits will recur every six months and structural audits annually.
- Why
- The order followed the fire incident at RIMS Adilabad and aims to identify and correct hospital safety risks.
Key facts
- Audit deadline
- All government hospitals are to undergo the audits within a month.
- Audit frequency
- Fire and electrical audits every six months; structural audits annually.
- Sensitive zones
- ICUs, operation theatres, SNCUs, NICUs, radiology and diagnostic departments, dialysis units and emergency departments.
- Safety systems reviewed
- Fire alarms, extinguishers, hydrants, sprinklers, fire water lines, exits, lighting, electrical panels, wiring, generators, air-conditioning and oxygen systems.
- Defect classification
- Deficiencies will be classified as emergency, immediate or routine according to severity.
- Oversight
- District-level committees headed by collectors will include health, energy, fire safety and roads and buildings officials.
- Maintenance funding
- A separate budget will be provided for regular maintenance of fire and electrical safety equipment.
Sources
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