System ready for 2 months, Ludhiana hospital awaits firefighters
The system’s installation began in 2018 and was stopped midway until a minor fire at the hospital in March this year brought the issue to the forefront
Despite being ready for two months, the firefighting and detection system at the civil hospital remains unused as the facility is awaiting permission to employ trained firefighters.
The system’s installation began in 2018 and was stopped midway until a minor fire at the hospital in March this year brought the issue to the forefront. The installation was then completed.
“The system is ready but before the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) hands it over to us, we are required to have four trained firefighters on board,” said senior medical officer Dr Mandeep Kaur Sandhu.
“We can hire the firefighters under the user charges category but that can happen with the permission of the corporation,” she added.
The hospital has written to the corporation several times, but to no avail, officials said.
PHSC sub-divisional officer Sukhwant Singh did not answer calls.
On April 9 this year, the electricity panel of an oxygen plant at the hospital caught fire after a short circuit. Although the flames were doused before any significant damage, the hospital staff were found struggling to use the fire extinguishers.