Fire breaks out at Ludhiana Civil Hospital’s oxygen plant; no injuries

The electric panel of oxygen plant at civil hospital caught fire on Sunday night. The staff on duty were not able to use the fire extinguishers and struggled to put out the flames.

A fire safety expert who was on the spot, rushed in and helped to douse the flames.

No significant damage was caused.

The oxygen plant also remained unfunctional for a while, said hospital workers. There were fire extinguishers available in every ward of the hospital, but we were not given any training on how to use them, a hospital worker said on condition of anonymity.

The centre had directed states and Union territories on March 23, to ensure that all hospitals conducted inspections, addressed discrepancies in electrical load capacity and obtained valid clearances to prevent fires during summer.

The hospital workers also demanded fire safety training. Chief medical officer Dr Mandeep Kaur Sandhu, when contacted for a comment, didn’t respond to repeated calls.

Fire department officials said they have planned a fire safety workshop on April 15 and 16 in the hospital. Hindustan Times