Year after AMRI fire, 90% city hospitals have NOC

One year after the fire at AMRI Hospital, which left about 90 persons dead, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Javed Ahmed Khan said that about 90 per cent of the hospitals in Kolkata have been given no-objection certificates to operate.

"With a little guidance, assistance from our officers and coaxing the city hospitals are being streamlined into following the stipulated norms. Previously, most of the hospitals didn't have the fire-fighting equipment in order and those which had were mostly defunct. Now about 90 per cent of them have got an NOC by the fire advisory committee," Khan said.

The smaller establishments, however, he said, didn't need to make that much changes but they had their own constraints. "There is mostly space constraint. In case of 20-30 bed hospitals, a clear escape route is necessary along with smoke detectors and water hose pipes," Khan said and added a stern reminder for the errant establishments. "We can extend the time limit to a certain extent because we do not want to forcibly close them down but if anyone thinks he can fiddle with the rule, he is wrong. If after the stipulated time and extension they fail to comply with the rule, they might be closed down," he said.

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