Fix fire safety norms or face shut down: Telangana High Court

Source: deccanchronicle.com

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has expressed its outrage over the apathy of the Fire Safety Department, Medical and Health department and municipal authorities in not acting against private hospitals that do not follow fire safety and other rules.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Annireddy Abhishek Reddy came down heavily on officials who ignored such glaring mistakes on the part of the Venkateshwara Kidney Centre Hospital in Karimnagar.

The complaint against the officials was that they had not responded to violations by the hospitals since 2012. The petitioner, Chalimeda Anand Rao, who lives in the house next to the kidney centre, said that it would affect his life if any untoward event occurred. He said that the authorities named had ignored his complaints about the hospital apart from issuing notices.

The Bench that went through the report, pointed out that the hospital had failed to leave the mandatory setbacks, had constructed area exceeding the sanctioned plan, and did not have a sufficient number of fire extinguishers and automatic sprinklers.  

Chief Justice Chauhan observed, “I am shocked to see such glaring criminal negligence on the part of the officials. They have violated their oath, law and still, they think that they can go scot-free. This court is shocked by the lackadaisical attitude of officials. This court will not hesitate in imposing an exemplary cost on the officials to ensure that they learn the lessons that they are required to carry out under law and they cannot leave the patients to their fate”.

The Chief Justice warned the management of the hospital and the officials who conveniently ignored the glaring mistakes of the hospital since 2012, that they could get a contempt notice.

The Chief Justice warned that the court will ensure that the hospital is shut down if it continues to put the lives of its patients at risk.