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The
Burning Issue...
The fire accident at the Advanced Medicare and Research Institute
(AMRI) Hospitals at Dhakuria, Kolkata became a deathtrap for
more than 90 lives!In the wake of this tragedy that shocked
and horrified everyone, the entire healthcare fraternity has
come under scrutiny regarding the safety and rescue measures
implemented within hospitals. The AMRI Hospital fire case
has now become a point of relentless debate and is ringing
alarm bells for all healthcare stakeholders. Do hospitals
violate a common National Building Code rule of keeping the
basement free? Do hospitals have adequate staff members trained
in fire safety drills? Is there any one keeping a close watch
on hospital fire safety?These are some of the answers sought
by the public. It is evident that the industry is teeming
with opportunities for growth. Increasing number of hospitals
and hospital beds, booming medical tourism, developing infrastructure
as well as introduction of new healthcare delivery models
are all evi0dences of this fact. But, infrastructure and irregularities
in the structure of hospitals as well as the safety measures
are often being ignored. The AMRI tragedy is an example in
case. According to the rules, hospitals should have elaborate
mechanisms to facilitate easy movement and safe escape of
patients in case of fire. In real terms, the healthcare industry
is the only industry which thrives on the premise of safety.
Yet, it is a sad and unfortunate truth that many of our hospitals
continue to have poor fire safety arrangements. This begs
the question that how many more lives must be lost before
the industry takes safety and rescue measures seriously?
In the aftermath of this tragedy, Express Healthcare presents
the views of the industry players on this burning issue
- Dr Navin Chugh, General Manager – Quality, BGS Global
Hospitals, Bangalore
- Dr Selwyn Colaco, Facility Director, Fortis Hospitals, Cunningham
Road, Bangalore
- Ayanabh Debgupta, Medica Synergie, Kolkata
- Dr Tamorish Kole, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Emergency
Medicine), George Washington University Medical Center, Director
of Emergency Medicine Program, Institute of Trauma and Emergency
Medicine, Max Healthcare, India, Regional Faculty, American
Heart Association (Asia pacific), Chair, Academic Council,
Society for Emergency Medicine in India
- Sujayanti Dasgupta, Independent Healthcare Architect and
Medical Planner, Bangalore
Creating
a Hospital that Fulfils the Expectations of the Community
it Caters
The concept of caregiving is chaging time to time
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