Odisha Govt Orders Statewide Fire Safety Audit in Healthcare Facilities

Bhubaneswar: In a move to strengthen fire safety systems across healthcare institutions, Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Wednesday chaired a high-level virtual review meeting with all District Collectors from Lok Seva Bhawan.

During the meeting, the Minister directed district administrations to undertake comprehensive inspections of fire safety infrastructure in all health facilities, prepare necessary cost estimates, and ensure timely execution of required upgrades.

The review comes in the wake of recent directives issued by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who has called for strict enforcement of fire prevention and firefighting measures in hospitals across the state. Acting on these instructions, the government has mandated the formation of dedicated task forces, regular mock drills, periodic inspections, and fast-tracking of ongoing fire safety projects.

Highlighting the importance of patient safety, Mahaling instructed officials to carry out routine fire safety audits in medical colleges, district headquarters hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. He stressed that all firefighting equipment must be functional and ready for immediate use at all times.

The Minister also emphasised the need for close coordination with the Fire Services and Works Departments to ensure effective implementation of safety measures, directing officials to accord top priority to compliance across all districts.

The meeting was attended by senior officials including Works Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Health Secretary Aswathy S., and Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav. District-level officials, including Collectors, Chief Medical Officers, Fire Officers, medical college principals, and hospital superintendents, also participated in the review.