SUM Hospital was running sans fire safety certificate

Bhubaneswar: A day after 20 people died in the gruesome fire mishap in Sum Hospital here, a startling fact has come to fore that the ill-fated hospital was operating without State government’s Fire Safety Certificate, a pre-requisite to run a hospital.

An official document obtained by OTV shows that the hospital had violated guidelines pertaining to ‘Fire prevention/Safety measures’.

The letter dated 4th November 2015, from Directorate General, Fire Service stated it had issued Fire Safety Certificates to three hospitals in Bhubaneswar; Apollo Hospitals, Advanced Medical Research Institute (AMRI) and Kalinga Hospital.

“Besides conditional Fire Safety Certificate for six months was issued to Panda Curie Cancer Hospital in Cuttak,” the letter noted.

More so, the hospital had not obtained any ‘Occupancy Certificate’ from the civic bodies. Official sources said, according to Clinical Establishment Act any such establishment with a height of nine metres or more, willing to operate hospital or nursing home has to obtain ‘Occupancy Certificate’ during registration or renewal from the State government. But the hospital has not got such approval from the government.

“We are verifying all the documents of the hospital. In case of any lapses, strong action will be taken against the hospital authorities,” PC Mohapatra, Director, Medical and Technical Education (DMET) said.

Unconfirmed sources said, licence of the hospital has lapsed on April 5, 2016. Though private hospitals and clinical establishments need to renew licences in every two years, the hospital is yet to apply for the same.
“We will analyse all the papers of the hospital and take proper action,” Mohapatra noted.