Hospitals staff would be trained for curbing the incidents of fire

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that besides appointing safety officers in government hospitals on permanent basis, special training will also be imparted to the hospitals staff through Rescue 1122 for curbing the incidents of fire in the hospitals.

He was presiding over a meeting to curb the incidents of fire in government hospitals, here today. Secretary Health Punjab Dr. Ijaz Munir, Director General Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Director Rescue 1122 Dr. Rizwan Naseer, Additional Secretary Health (Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid, senior officers of district government and civil defense were present. DG Rescue 1122 Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that there is a need to provide fire exit and ramps in government hospitals for the safe exit of patients and attendants. He said that the services of experts of Communication & Works Department can be acquired for changes in infrastructure in this regard. He said that there are no chemical cylinders for fire fighting in some hospitals or staff is not trained for their operation due to which even a minor fire spreads due to delay.

The meeting decided that master trainers will be produced for teaching and district headquarters hospitals through Rescue 1122 and staff of hospitals of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalbad and Bahawalpur will be imparted training in the form of clusters. Additional Secretary (Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid will supervise training of teaching hospital staff while DG Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz will supervise training of the staff of district headquarters hospitals. The meeting also decided to restore already existing fire exits of hospitals.

Kh. Salman Rafique said that encroachments should immediately be removed from such fire exits which have been blocked. The meeting also directed to conduct a survey of electric equipments and wiring of government hospitals and to replace the old wiring. Secretary Health directed that strict implementation of SOPs be ensured in government hospitals after necessary amendments to check the incidents of fire in hospitals.