District Hospital, Noida, has also been issued the advisory
Given that hospitals play a crucial role in case of a natural disaster, the Disaster Management Cell (DMC) of Noida has issued an advisory to all major hospitals in the city asking them to submit their safety audit reports within two months.
With Noida falling under Seismic Zone IV, the third-party safety audit ensures that public buildings, such as hospitals and schools, implement earthquake-resilient measures during construction, and ensure that these have proper fire-fighting systems in place.
The advisory has been issued to 30 hospitals in the district, mandating third-party safety audits and an assessment of their earthquake resilience.
Dr Kumar Ranka, planning specialist and head of DMC, said, “In the event of natural calamities such as earthquakes, hundreds of injured are rushed to the hospital. Keeping this in mind, an advisory has been issued to all major hospitals in the city asking them to conduct their safety audits.”
The hospitals need to submit the audit report to the DMC and the district magistrate.
Though Apollo Hospital, in Sector 26, has not been handed out the advisory yet, the COO, Dr D Sharma, welcomed the move. He said, “We ensure all safety mechanisms are in place, in the event of an earthquake or a fire or any other natural disaster.”
He added, “Safety audits are conducted at three levels here — by the head administration of the area, by the hospital and by the National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Providers. The board gives its approval only if the hospital complies with environmental and pollution-control norms, disaster resilience and fire-fighting measures. The staff, including doctors and nurses, are given periodic training in firefighting.”
Kailash Hospital in Noida, which has received the advisory, said it was ready for a third-party safety audit. Senior manager Dr VB Joshi said, “The medical staff is well-trained for a quick response to any disaster. Also, the hospital can accommodate up to 50 patients, in case of a fire or any other emergency.”
