Most of the private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres housed in high-rise complexes across the district lack adequate fire protection and other safety measures, running high risk of accident. There are a total of 243 such healthcare centres in the city, according to the Khulna Divisional Office of Health Department. Civil Surgeon of Khulna district Dr Md Yasin Ali Sardar cautioned that these facilities may well become death traps for patients if fire breaks out accidentally. Patients in the Operation Theatre (OT), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and post-operative wards are particularly vulnerable, he said. If fire breaks out in a high-rise that houses such hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres, it will rapidly engulf adjacent buildings and take a heavy toll on life and property, he added. One hundred and sixty four of the 243 private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres housed in high-rise complexes are located in the city while the remaining 89 are spread across nine upazilas of Khulna district. Expressing deep concern over the issue, Divisional Director of the Department of Health, Khulna Division, Dr Md Masum Ali, said that patients will be in danger if fire breaks out at private healthcare institutions that lack fire protection systems.  This correspondent too, during visits to private hospitals, found that clinics and diagnostic centres do not have any fire-fighting equipment, they have little or no trained staff, and no preventive features for fighting any fire. Manager of Boyra Nursing Home and Diagnostic Centre Md Alamgir admitted that their clinic has no hydrant points or hose reels. The hospital also lacks trained persons to operate fire extinguishers. He said it is very important to spread awareness among the staff about fires and the steps to be taken to mitigate their impact.
Manager of Khalishpur Clinic in the city Md Amzad Hossain said, “We have already submitted a proposal to the hospital owner to bring the clinic under modern fire-fighting equipment.”
Amzad said the authorities are planning to set up water reservoirs atop the building as well as underground to fight outbreak of fire. Referring to the fire that broke out at Gazi Medical College Hospital, Sonadanga, on July 20 this year, which was sparked off by an electrical short circuit, Amzad said there were no casualties only because local fire units doused the flames instantly.
Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Department in Khulna Sheikh Mizanur Rahman said, “It is necessary to keep hydrant points, hose reels and fire extinguishers on every floor of a hospital. However, most modern hospitals have no modern fire-fighting equipment or trained staff.”
Sheikh Mizanur suggested setting up of modern fire equipment like auto sprinklers, smoke detectors and fire-rated doors in the OT, ICU, CCU and post-operative rooms of hospitals. Every hospital must have one or more emergency stairs on the basis of the number of people and should set up auto fire alarms, he said.
He suggested having a door in front of the stairs which would offer protection against fires that raged for two or more hours. A fire lift is also necessary, especially in modern hospitals, he said. Routine fire drills and emergency evacuation of buildings is needed for the casualty rate in similar such accidents to decline.
Meanwhile, Dr Masum said that the Directorate of Dhaka has instructed all hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres across the country to obtain fire protection clearance certificates.
“We have strengthened our monitoring in order to ensure that private hospitals and clinics install fire protection systems in keeping with Fire Service and Civil Defence rules,” he said.