The hospital is the first and only government medical college in Maharashtra to have an independent fire-fighting unit
Nagpur: The Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMCH), popularly called Mayo Hospital in Nagpur, has become “safe” from fires on its own. The hospital is the first and only government hospital in Maharashtra to have an independent Fire Safety Department with a full-time professional Fire Safety Officer and trained staff to fight fire accidents.
Spread over 38.26 acres of land, the Mayo Hospital has some buildings which have become 100 years old. According to reports, the hospital has hired a trained and experienced Fire Safety Officer, who remains present in the office five days a week, for five hours a day. The officer not only inspects wards, establishments, electricity control and other sections for fire safety but also trains the staff in fire fighting. More than 15 staffers including Class III and Class IV health workers, resident doctors and medical teachers have been trained in the last three months to develop a full-fledged department, reports said.
According to Vaishali Shelgaonkar, Head of Anaesthesia Department, who developed this concept for Mayo Hospital, the process of establishing this Fire Safety Department had been going on for the last three months. Following a series of fire incidents reported in hospitals during Covid-19, the hospital authorities started thinking about a permanent solution. Her concept of having a Fire Safety Department, dedicated to the cause of avoiding fire incidents was hailed by the Dean as well as the District Collector.
The Fire Safety Department is a unique addition to the Mayo Hospital’s safety protocol. The fire safety team also conducts regular inspection of oxygen plants, O2 supply systems, and power supply cables in wards, ICUs, and NICUs. The in-house Fire Safety Department established by IGGMC has all the potential to become a model project for other GMCs and big hospitals, especially in Maharashtra, where more than 80 lives have been lost in hospital fires in the last 15 months.
