Government told to ready final policy on setting up ramps in hospitals

Chennai

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh on perusing the report filed by Dr J Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, with regard to the meetings held in this connection, said: “The concerned authorities will now formulate the final policy in this behalf and also indicate the timeline for implementation. The final policy should be put in the public domain before July 12, a week before the next date of  hearing on July 19, 2016.” The matter relates to a PIL filed by Jawaharlal Shanmugam who urged the court to direct all the authorities concerned to provide ramp facility as a mandatory rule from the top most floor to ground floor for easy evacuation of patients in the event of fire accidents.

Petitioner, while referring to the incident of fire accidents that took place in a private hospital in Kolkata in which 85 patients and four staff members died and two major fire accidents in Chennai, in Sri Ramachandra Hospital (Stores) and Child Trust Hospital, submitted that in major hospitals many inflammable articles are present in wards, laboratories, intensive care wards, operation theatres and in the event of a fire accident these inflammable articles would accelerate the spread of the blaze to other areas and would make it nearly impossible to remove the patients.

Dr J Radhakrishnan, Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department, after holding a meeting with all stakeholders on the issue including MCI, CMDA, Town and Country Planning, Fire Service, Welfare of Differently Abled Department, IMA and PWD had submitted that in respect of new hospitals including additional construction proposed to the existing hospitals, the provision of ramps may be made mandatory in all buildings having ground plus first floor and above and floor plate area of over 300 square metres on each floor.

Set-back space  may be provided all around the building with access for fire fighting vehicles to operate, as already laid down in the development regulations of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Development Control Rules for DTCP and National Building Code.

However, in respect of existing hospital buildings, the health secretary had suggested provision of ramp, wherever possible, subject to availability of space and structural stability of the building. Wherever required and subject to feasibility, one side set-back space can be allowed for providing ramp and wherever there are multiple buildings in one campus, provision of ramp in one  building with connecting corridors to other buildings, leaving enough head room for snorkel, subject to availability of space and structural stability of the building. It was also submitted that from 2009 all government hospitals with multi-storeyed buildings have been provided with ramps.

Also, in respect of existing hospital buildings utmost care will be taken to ensure that fire safety measures are improved on a case-by-case basis.