17 hours Ago By Alim Shaikh
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has issued notices to as many as 438 private hospitals and clinics in the twin cities for failing to obtain a fire safety no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire brigade department. The move came after the municipal corporation's appeal in May this year for this initiative received a poor response, with only a few medical facilities reaching out to the department for the NOC. A senior PCMC official said that there are a total of 623 private hospitals and clinics registered with the corporation, of which only 72 have received the NOC from the fire brigade department till date.
The official added that the applications of 190 hospitals and clinics for the NOC are being reviewed; some of these have also received notices, besides those who have not applied. "If these establishments fail to get the fire NOC from us, we will share the list with the health department and their registration will not be renewed," Manoj Lonkar, deputy municipal commissioner and head of PCMC's fire brigade department, told TOI. Earlier, PCMC had a provision under which private clinics and hospitals were allowed to get their fire audit done by private govt-recognised fire licence agencies.
They would submit the ‘B' Form audit to the health department while applying for a new registration or renewal of licence. In this process, there was no direct involvement of PCMC's fire department. However, from 2024 onwards, the civic body initiated a process under which the fire brigade department would verify fire safety measures and audit conducted by private agencies by physically inspecting each establishment before giving them an NOC.
According to civic officials, the hospitals and clinics undergo a fire safety audit between Jan and July each year. The decision to implement strict provisions was introduced by PCMC after a fire incident was reported at a children's hospital in Delhi in May this year, in which seven babies were killed and several others were injured. A senior civic official, choosing anonymity, told TOI, "The lastest move aims to ensure that there are no lapses with regards to fire safety at hospitals and clinics within the municipal limits.
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