Bhubaneswar, Oct 22: Director General of Fire Service Binoy Behera on Friday stated that had the information regarding fire at SUM Hospital on October 17 been communicated to the control room little earlier, more lives could have been saved.
Addressing newsmen after attending a high level meet with officials Behera confirmed that the department received the first call about the mishap some 45 minutes after the incident took place. The official said that the call was made by an attendant of a patient and not by any hospital staff, who should be more alert in such type of incidents. Behera lamented that most health care units in the State are operating without proper installation of fire-fighting equipment.
He has requested the Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) to provide details about the hospitals running without fire safety certificates in the State to deal with such exigencies.
