KADAPA: The prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Hospital here has poor safety measures despite experiencing two fire mishaps since it inception.RIMS was established by former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in 2006 with the objective of providing better medical services and health care for the people of Kadapa district.Several crores of rupees were spent on providing infrastructure facilities at RIMS, but little attention is paid to safety aspects. The lack of No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire services department only indicates that the building has not complied with the National Building Code. According to district fire officer K Jaganmohan Reddy, RIMS authorities have not even sought the NOC.There are fire extinguishers at every ward, but they are not functional. The last time the fire extinguishers with dry chemical powder were refilled was in 2007 though it is mandatory to do it once in one year. In case of fire extinguishers with carbon-di-oxide, they need to be checked from time to time. However, it is not being done.Fire alarms are available in every ward, but they do not work. Fire extinguishers and alarms appear to be mere decorations on the walls of RIMS hospital.RIMS does not have a water tank for firefighting and there is no sign of any yard hydrants.Two fire mishaps had taken place at RIMS since its inception and luckily there was no loss of life. Fire broke out about 18 months ago in the gynaecology ward following a short circuit in the electrical room close by.Patients ran out of the hospital to save their lives. Fortunately, some electricians were working in the hospital at that time and they disconnected power supply. Soon fire tenders arrived and put out the fire, averting a major disaster.Six months before that, there was a fire in the oxygen storage block, which supplies oxygen cylinders to operation theaters. A faulty oxygen flow meter was the reason for the accident. Patients in four floors had to run out of the building.“We feared for our own lives, but carried the patients, including new mothers and their babies, to safety in our hands,” Ruthamma, RIMS unit president of the AP Staff Nurses Association, said recalling the incident. She said RIMS lacks basic fire safety systems. “God save us if there is a fire accident here as the government appears to be least bothered about providing adequate safety measures,” she said.When contacted, RIMS director Siddappa Gourav said that it would be better to ask the Andhra Pradesh Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation (APHMIDC) superintending engineer about fire safety measures.If this is the condition in a major hospital in Kadapa district, represented by none other than health minister DL Ravindra Reddy, the situation at other hospitals is anybody’s guess.
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